Coincidences
by AccioMidnight
Summary: Hermione Granger was an exception to the rule that Muggleborn wizards and witches were below him. It was a different way of thinking, not one he was used to at all, to judge people by their actions rather than their origins. Dramione AU
1. Draco

AN: Really, I didn't mean to start a new story while I've got another mid-plot, but it just... happened.

I will continue if enough people find this interesting, if not, it's going to be a one-shot.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was not easily amused. The antics of the boys his father had introduced him to on Platform 9 and 3/4 were positively idiotic in his opinion. They had joked about the same thing for what had to be half the train ride. Draco had a feeling they weren't too bright, as Greg and Vincent had yet to string together an intelligent sentence since 'Pleased to meet you.'. _Honestly_, Draco complained to himself, couldn't his father find him more intelligent friends than these two buffoons. After he had studied them for what had to be an hour, he concluded that they would be easily manipulated and, once at school, would be the brawn behind his brains. But that didn't mean he had to tolerate them the _entire_ train ride in.

He escaped under the pretense of using the loo to change into his robes, which he actually done, but he decided that not returning to his compartment wouldn't be _too_ rude. The simpletons probably wouldn't even notice until they arrived. Draco opened the door to the loo quickly. He heard an unmistakably female yelp and a thump. He paled. Father wouldn't like getting an owl saying his son had hurt another student _before they even got to school_. He looked around the door and blinked at the short, skinny girl sitting on the ground. She was nursing her arm, which held a bundle of new robes close to her body. She had horribly bushy hair. Draco grimaced before he schooled his features into what he hoped was concern. Mother wouldn't like knowing he'd hurt a _girl_.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I shouldn't have opened the door so quickly." He stuck out his hand towards her, in what he thought was a _very_ gentlemanly way, if he did say so himself. Mother would be proud.

Unfortunately for Draco, the girl didn't see his hand as she helped herself off the floor.

Draco twitched and retracted his hand.

"It's alright," her voice was hard to hear and Draco, a little hurt that his rare act of chivalry was dismissed, didn't bother to hear what else she said as she got up. Despite her plain appearance, Draco studied her. Bushy brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and a set of large front teeth. She looked uncomfortable, and Draco didn't deduce that it was because he was staring at her until she asked, "Are you okay?"

He blinked. "I'm fine," he said, and he felt awkward enough to introduce himself, "My name is Draco Malfoy." He stuck out his hand again.

This time she shook it. "Hermione Granger. Are you a first year too?"

"Yes." He replied shortly, and didn't think much about her name. He was more concerned about the woman with the trolley coming towards them slowly from the other end of the train car. Or rather, the sweets on the trolley. His sweet tooth was the bane of Father's existence. But Father wouldn't know...

"I'm very excited. Do you know what House you want to be in?"

At that, Draco smirked, "Slytherin, of course."

Her-something-or-other seemed to dislike his choice but cheerfully replied, "I hope to be in Gryffindor, myself. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, was in that house, and he's a great wizard. There are a lot of great wizards that come from other houses too, so I can't put too much into that. I wouldn't be terribly disappointed if I was sorted into Ravenclaw. Their founder is the one who invented the moving staircases and she even created the charms that fix the ceiling in the Great Hall to reflect the actual sky. I'm sure there a-"

Draco panicked. Father had told him not to be an arse, but this girl just _wouldn't stop talking_. In small bursts, she was probably an okay person, but Draco knew he would have to avoid running into her too often. As she kept talking, he mused she was a step above Greg and Vincent. At least she didn't make so many willy jokes. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself that, yes, this Harmony girl would make an alright addition to his growing friend list.

He tried to smile pleasantly at her and she stopped talking and looked at him in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on."

Draco dismissed her apology and replied, "It's okay to be excited. I've got to be getting back to my compartment. I'll see you later."

She looked startled and seemed to remember exactly what she had been doing before she'd gotten hit by a door.

"Oh, yes, sorry for keeping you. I'll see you later, Draco." She moved around him and entered the loo to change. Just as he turned to leave, her head popped out of the room, "Wait! You haven't happened to see a toad? A boy named Neville has been looking for his."

Draco shook his head no and left. On his way back to Greg and Vincent, he decided not to mention the girl to them. She didn't matter.

What did matter to Draco, was the pile of sweets he'd be taking back with him.

When he finally made it, he had a new goal. Harry Potter was somewhere on the train, in that very car, and he was going to be Draco's new best friend. Father had told him that it was important to befriend the Potter boy. He had wondered why but dismissed it as another one of Father's whims. He told Crabbe and Goyle to come with him as he searched the train for Potter.

He was pleased with himself when he found the boy, but the smirk on his face faded some when he realized there was another boy already talking amicably with Harry. He pushed open the door and made his presence known.

"Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

His first impression of Harry Potter was that of doubt. This skinny kid took out You-Know-Who? When he was just a baby? That was a long shot. His meeting with Potter didn't go as smoothly as he had planned. Goyle had gone and opened his big, fat mouth, instead of standing silently like he was supposed to, and insulted the Weasley kid, and ended up with a rat on his finger. Draco made a quick escape when he heard footsteps but didn't ignore the bushy brown hair that flew past him into the compartment he had just left. He sent Crabbe and Goyle back to their compartment, but stuck around to eavesdrop on the trio. Would his new friend help him get to Potter?

At first, he had gotten upset as the Weasel talked about his father. His anger faded when Hermanie changed the subject and scolded the two for not being dressed.

He smothered a snicker when she told the Weasley boy he had dirt on his nose.

Yes, she'd be a nice addition to his collection, indeed.

As long as she _wasn't_ a Gryffindor.


	2. Hermione

It took Hermione one week at Hogwarts to figure out it was just like her primary school. The other students didn't appreciate her knowledge. The people in her house were crass and cared more about sports or vanities or games or tricks than their studies. Her own classmates were wild, except for Neville, but the boy rarely talked back to her when she struck up conversation at the dinner table. Hermione was not having as much fun at Hogwarts as she had imagined she would. The Sorting Hat had asked her to choose between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. She really regretted choosing Gryffindor, if only because her only semi-friend wouldn't be seen with her in public because of it.

Draco Malfoy had turned out to be a selfish egotist, but Hermione couldn't afford to lose her only sort-of friend, so she put up with it whenever they saw each other in the Draco had a lot of bad things to say about almost everyone, she never heard a bad word towards herself. That was very nice of him, Hermione thought, and as Draco needed all the points he could get, she made sure to add that to the list of good things about him. Draco also listened to her, whenever it suited him. While the students in her own house saw her as an insufferable know-it-all, Hermione noticed that Draco saw her as an insufferable equal of sorts. He knew a lot about wizarding culture and never questioned her knowledge of it. He seemed to take a perverse amount of pleasure in correcting her social faux pas.

One day in the library, Hermione noticed a slight change in Draco. He wasn't as talkative, and he didn't say one bad word about Ronald Weasley the entire hour they were there. When Hermione asked him how he was, he snapped at her and told her to mind her own business. It had stung for about three seconds, which was how long it took her to ask again.

"You're a Muggleborn, aren't you?"

His question had startled her. She had already deduced that Draco was highly prejudiced against Muggleborn witches and wizards, but she never wanted to bring up her heritage for fear of losing her jerkish friend. She replied honestly and told him her parents were dentists.

He'd looked more stunned than she had ever seen him.

That had been three days prior.

Hermione didn't like Hogwarts, not at all, especially when her only friend told her to leave him alone until he decided his next step for their pseudo-friendship. After that day, she'd wandered the Gryffindor Common Room and talked to a few of the paintings during her free time, who were surprised to be acknowledged. They knew lots about the castle that Hermione didn't, so she took notes sometimes. One painting of Martin the Dreadful told her about the school's ventilation system. He wasn't very exciting. Her favorite painting in the Common Room had to be the one of Teara Walle. The eleven year old in the painting was always excited when Hermione would talk to her. It was clear she'd been neglected for many years. Hermione liked listening to Teara's stories about the fantastic beasts in the painting to her left. Somehow, she knew they weren't accurate, but Hermione took pleasure in it nevertheless.

The only times she'd leave the Common Room were for class, meals, and the occasional trip to the library. She was a bit scared of going in and finding Draco there. He hadn't so much as looked in her general direction in Potions, the only class they shared. It upset Hermione. If he didn't want to be her friend, he could at least be decent enough to tell her so to her face, not that Draco was a very decent person, but still. She felt slighted in the worst way. Not to mention Ronald Weasley was grating on her last nerve. His friend Harry had never really been mean to her, but Ronald always seemed to have an insult ready for her whenever they were stuck near each other. And now, she didn't even have Draco to complain to. Neville would surely defend Ron. Stupid boys.

She looked around anxiously at the other first year Gryffindors and the Slytherins. Draco still avoided looking at her.

She'd been nervous about this flying lesson. Draco had told her, numerous times, that he was an expert on a broomstick, and she had hoped he would share a few tips. But seeing as he was being a prejudiced idiot, she had no idea what she was doing. She'd really tried to learn from Quidditch Through the Ages but this just wasn't something to be learned from a book. At least Neville had appreciated her when he listened to her tips the day before.

Hermione was extremely disappointed when her broomstick merely rolled over on the ground when she called it. She looked around and saw that Harry and Seamus and Draco all had their brooms in hand by then. Before Madam Hooch could send them into the air, Neville took off flying. Hermione was impressed. He was flying extremely fast. The sound he made when he hit the ground wasn't pleasant.

She glared at Draco when he started laughing after Madam Hooch was out of earshot with Neville.

When Parvati defended Neville and Pansy sent a dig her way, Hermione saw an opportunity to get back at Draco for all the mean things he'd done to her, and she guessed, Neville too, the past three days.

But before she could get a word out, Harry Potter and Draco were in the middle of a shouting match. She looked between the two and panicked when Harry picked up his broom and told Draco to give back the Remembrall.

"No! Madam Hooch told us not to move- you'll get us all into trouble!"

Harry ignored her but she could tell Draco was startled to hear her talking to him. They ended up fighting in the air. Hermione repeatedly yelled at them and told them to get down before they got hurt. Flying was dangerous. Surely, Harry had never flown before! She nearly had a fit when Draco tossed the Remembrall into the air. When Harry fell, she felt it her responsibility to thoroughly reprimand Draco as soon as possible.

Before she could, Professor McGonagall appeared to take Harry away. Had he been her friend, Hermione would have protested, but Harry Potter had yet to make an impression on her past being a little too brave. The rest of the class watched in silence until McGonagall and Harry left. Hermione felt her blood boil as Draco's minions congratulated him on getting Potter expelled. The other Slytherins laughed and did the same, all taking turns stroking Malfoy's ego. She was not about to act like the other Gryffindors and not say anything.

"Listen here, _Malfoy_!" she marched up to her not-so-nice ex-friend, "What you did was wrong and you can be sure you won't get away with it. I'll tell Madam Hooch what really happened, and even if I didn't, Harry won't be getting expelled."

He was taken aback by the venom in her voice but sneered down at her.

"Oh yeah, _Granger_? How are you so sure Scarhead won't be out of here by sundown?"

She smiled smugly, "Didn't you see Professor McGonagall's face? She looked _proud_ of him. I'll bet she saw the whole thing."

Hermione turned on her heel, grabbed her book bag off the ground, and walked back to the castle without a second thought.


	3. Draco2

Eleven year old Draco had a real dilemma on his hands. Harmon- Hermione. His asset. She was a _Mudblood_. Draco hadn't seen it coming_ at all_. She knew so much about wizards and magic, he had figured she must have been at least a half-blood with a really involved magical parent. There was no way he could have known. He'd only found out because Pansy Pug Nose Parkinson complained about a Muggleborn witch getting a higher score than herself on their first History of Magic quiz. He had gotten the highest score of the boys in their year, beating out Terry Boot by half a percent, and the only girl to score higher than Pansy's 97 was Hermione's 102.

Father wouldn't be pleased to know his son's smart friend whom he'd been writing home about was actually a Mudblood. Then again, Father was rarely pleased with Draco in the first place.

The thought had plagued him for days until he realized something in the middle of the night.

He didn't have to tell Father. He'd just stop mentioning Hermione in his letters. Problem solved.

Now, he just had to get Hermione alone, so he could explain his behavior and lay out the rules of their acquaintanceship. It wouldn't do for the other nitwits in Slytherin to find out about her and tell their parents all about a Malfoy sullying his reputation. He'd be dead before Christmas.

It crossed his mind maybe three, maybe seventeen times to just drop Granger and hate her like any self-respecting Pureblood should, but he couldn't get past his initial impression of the girl. She was plain, incredibly intelligent, got on every single one of his nerves, embarrassed him in front of their entire flying class, and yet he couldn't help but feel as though she was going to be an irreplaceable asset while in school. He'd use her brains to get top spot. He'd be a Prefect easily, but the _real glory_ was in the Head Boy spot, Seventh Year. Yes, he'd need Granger to get there, or at least to help him keep those wankers Ernie MacMillan and Terry Boot from outdoing him. He knew he had absolutely no competition from Gryffindor, that was for sure. They had a healthy lot of idiots.

Now, Draco had another problem. Hermione was upset. It took him three hours to realize the constant tripping he'd endured was because of her. That devious little bint. While he would definitely get her back for that, he wanted to clear the air. But for that to happen, Hermione had to tolerate him long enough to hear him out.

Draco looked at the tall clock in his dormitory. It was almost midnight. He smirked. Potter and Weasley were in for a treat when they got to the trophy room. He had carefully mentioned an 'overheard' conversation in front of Filch and he knew the old man would be there to catch the Dynamic Duo in the act.

He settled himself into bed with a smirk on his face.

-oOo-

At breakfast the next morning, Draco couldn't believe how happy the Weasel and Potty were. They were practically bursting with giddiness. Obviously, Filch hadn't done his job right. Draco fumed silently in his seat. His genius plan was duped by the crotchety caretaker. He scanned the Gryffindor table and noticed Hermione seemed especially angry at the dunderheads next to her. Her hair, he noted with muted disgust, was even bushier than normal.

Perfect. She was distressed.

He waited as patiently as any other spoiled rotten eleven year old boy could for Hermione to pick up her books and head out of the Great Hall. Luckily for him, and the poor, unfortunate eggs he was mashing, she ate very little and in a rush. In no time at all, she was shuffling towards the large doors. He told Crabbe and Goyle to stay put, and they had no objections after another plate of roasted ham appeared on the table. Draco walked calmly out of the Great Hall before breaking out in a light jog to catch up with Hermione, who was already halfway to the library.

"Grange-"

"Go away, you foul git."

Perhaps he should have waited and cornered her in the library.

"Hermione, listen." He gripped the back of her sleeve to stop her. She turned around and faced him, the scowl on her face reminded him of the gargoyle on top of the Manor. He flinched.

"Go away, Malfoy, you almost got me in trouble with Filch!"

What?

"You're mental, I haven't done a damn thing to you."

She scoffed. "Oh really?"

"Let me explain." Draco let go of her arm and pushed her towards the library. They sat at one of the tables near the entrance. Hermione crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the table leg next to her. Her entire demeanor screamed 'murder'. Draco would never admit it, but he was a bit scared. She was crazy. Draco knew crazy. Mother had told him stories of her sister, Bellatrix, and she was _really_ crazy. Even Mother was afraid of her. He highly doubted Hermione would actually try to murder or torture him, but kept his wand close, just in case.

"Go on then, I've got Charms soon."

"Okay, I admit I was a bit hasty with my exit the last we met," he could see the rage in her eyes, so he quickly continued his practiced speech, "but look at it from my perspective. You lied to me."

From the sight of the bright red growing on her cheeks, Draco figured that that was probably the wrong thing to say.

"Well! You didn't say anything. You knew I'd have an.. issue. And I was upset. But, I've thought it over properly, and, if you are still in agreement, I'd like to keep being.. friends." He spit out the last word to appease her. It worked, as the color in her cheeks faded and her murderous glare flipped into a contemplative stare. He fidgeted under her gaze. Granger could be so weird. He really didn't know what to expect.

"I'm still upset with you for almost getting me in trouble with Filch."

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night! You challenged Harry Potter to a duel and I tried to stop them from going. They went anyway and I went with them so that they wouldn't lose as many points when they got caught. And then, Neville joined us because he w-"

Draco tuned her out. He mulled over the first part of her speech. So, she had done a disgustingly _noble_ deed and blamed him for the outcome. Hm. Bloody Gryffindor.

"And we could have been killed, or worse, _expelled_!" She huffed and her glare returned.

"Not my fault you decided to be a goody good Gryffindor."

Hermione stood up and snatched her Charms textbook from the table.

"Don't be a prat, Draco." She held eye contact for a moment before she smiled. "I'll see you later."

Draco watched her leave the library and decided that maybe a friendship with Hermione Granger, the resident Muggleborn Genius, would not be so bad.


	4. Hermione2

All week, Hermione kept up her 'angry with you but needy for friendship' act. If she was honest with herself, she'd forgiven Draco when he said he wanted to keep being friends. Friends! He'd actually said the word. They were no longer stretched acquaintances. The sense of giddiness that overwhelmed her _almost_ made her forgive him for the whole duel incident. She was almost alright with it. The lingering feeling of anger only sprung up in Potions, when his rude comments to everyone got on her nerves. She was on her way to Charms one morning after breakfast when she overheard Draco hounding Harry about a broomstick. She had seen Harry get a large thin package at the table, but a broomstick? First years were not allowed on the House teams. She smiled. Draco must have been furious.

She watched Professor Flitwick break up the pissing party and smirked at Draco and his goons as they passed by her on the way down the stairs. Still angry at Harry and Ron for being so reckless, she wanted to get in a jab as she passed, even though she had been ignoring them all week.

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" She passed them slowly, as to take a closer look at the package in Potter's hands.

Harry looked at her blankly and said, "I thought you weren't speaking to us?"

"Yes, don't stop now," Ron pitched in, "it's doing us so much good."

Hermione huffed and stomped up the rest of the stairs. Ronald Weasley was one of the bluntest and rudest people she'd ever met. And that said a lot, considering her... best friend was Draco Malfoy, King of Slurs and Snobbery. Best friend? No, Draco wasn't her best friend, and she could hardly let herself believe that she was his. Draco had once said that he tolerated her. It should have bothered her, but that was better than what most of the students at Hogwarts had to say about little Hermione Granger. No one in Gryffindor, except maybe Percy Weasley, liked the way she studied constantly. They all thought her stuffy. Well, Hermione thought, as she sat down and opened her Charms book at her desk, let them think what they want.

Hermione had dreams for herself. As soon as Hogwarts became an option, she adjusted those dreams to fit the new world she had been tossed into. She would be Head Girl, come Seventh Year. No one would stop her. She knew she was intelligent and, if she studied hard, she would get the spot easily. Hermione didn't make choices lightly. She had always been determined to succeed and she knew one of the keys to success was making the right connections. It was by pure coincidence that she ran into Draco on the Hogwarts Express. She wasn't about to let that opportunity pass her by without a good fight.

She wasn't stupid. She had read all about the Malfoy family in _Pureblooded Families of the 20th Century._ They were fairly neutral throughout history and during Voldemort's first reign of terror, they had switched sides near the end. The Malfoy family line was full of Dark wizards, with the occasional murderer. There were also many members who turned away from the main line in order to live their own lives the way they pleased. There were a few famous Healers among the lot. That's why the Malfoys tended to donate to St. Mungo's so often. Hermione knew a good opportunity when it came, and being friends with the Malfoy heir would definitely help her achieve her goals. The Head Girl spot was already hers for the taking, but after Hogwarts, it wouldn't mean much. Having the right connections with a Malfoy would mean everything.

Her mother never liked when Hermione didn't make efforts with the other kids at school. She supposed her mother would be proud of her, if she knew just how much thought Hermione had put into this new friend.

While all the effort that surrounded being secret friends with Draco would be strange, Hermione saw something in the boy that made it worth it. He wasn't all bad. She had seen him do lots of un-Draco-like things in the library. He didn't bother anyone while they were really concentrating. He nibbled on too many Sugar Quills, and had even shared the strange candy with her once. She really liked it. Her parents would be horrified if they knew how much sugar she'd coated her teeth with. That thought made Hermione happy. Sugar was taboo in the Granger home and the Wizarding World didn't give a damn about rotting teeth.

Hermione's first two months of Hogwarts passed by quickly, as the more she ignored troublemakers, the better time she had. A lot of the time she felt lonely. Having one friend, one who wasn't even in her house, made life difficult. The other girls in her dormitory were already cliqued up and had made it clear they did not want Hermione in their groups. She wouldn't have wanted to so she didn't really take it that hard. They were all vapid and giggled too much. Still, she was a lone wolf in a castle full of packs. After she wrote home the first month, her mother had written back and told her to be patient, that the other children didn't see her true self, and would in time. Hermione thought her mother gave Wizards too much credit. They were rarely logical people. Once set in a certain way, it was hard to get them to think another.

Halloween snuck up on her. She loved the smell of baking pumpkin that was everywhere she walked. She made it to Charms a little later than she would have liked because she'd slowed down so much just to enjoy it. She was still the first person in the class.

"Ah, Miss Granger, we'll be working in pairs today. You're right over there." Professor Flitwick pointed to a two seat desk near the front.

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione nodded at him and set herself up in the new spot. When she sat down, a feather appeared in front of her. More people started entering the classroom and she waited patiently to see who would be her partner for the day. She breathed a sigh of relief when Seamus Finnigan was seated with Harry Potter but her good fortune ran out the second Ronald Weasley was placed next to her, all frowns and glares. She scowled and pretended he wasn't even there. She couldn't understand why he was always so mean to her.

She listened and took notes diligently as Professor Flitwick described the charm they'd be practicing today. Wingardium Leviosa. Once he let the class start practicing, she couldn't help but notice the struggle going on next to her. Ron was whipping his wand to and fro because he had obviously gotten frustrated. She noted his wand movements were right, he just wasn't saying the incantation correctly.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he flicked his wand again. The feather didn't twitch.

"You're saying it wrong," she finally snapped, "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

He took her advice poorly. "You do it, then, if you're so clever."

She huffed and straightened her sleeves before she said, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The feather in front of her rose with the movement of her wand. When it was about four feet in the air, Professor Flitwick noticed and praised her.

"Oh, well done! Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Some people were impressed but Hermione knew most of her classmates were upset with her for doing it right the first time. The extra attention Flitwick put on her wasn't helping anyone's opinions about her. By the end of class, she could feel Ron steaming next to her. He had managed to get it a few inches off the desk.

Hermione felt horribly. She'd always be weird. It didn't matter what school she went to, Professor McGonagall had been _wrong_ when she told her she was a witch and that she'd fit in here. Hogwarts was full of people like her, but not really.

On the way out of the Charms corridor, she heard Ron talking to Harry. She gripped her books tightly to her chest and walked faster.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," he laughed, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

That was the last straw. Hermione felt her eyes well up with tears, so she pushed past Harry and walked as quickly as possible away from them. She kept walking all the way to the girls bathroom.

Once there, she picked a stall furthest from the door, and she cried and cried and _cried_.


	5. Draco3

At the Halloween Feast, Draco sat at the end of the Slytherin Table nearest to the doors. He'd positioned himself so he'd be able to get out should Goyle and Crabbe get too enthused in their meals. Draco's sweet tooth was fully sated after five minutes of non stop candy. The tables were piled high with sweets of every type. He had a passing thought about Hermione and her 'dentist' parents. They'd probably never let Hermione eat so many sweets. He looked over at the Gryffindor table but couldn't find his... friend. It was still tough for him to admit it, but she was indeed a friend. One he probably didn't deserve, considering he was manipulating her. He scanned the table again but still didn't see her bushy brown hair. He focused on drowning out the buzz of people talking around him.

"Yeah, I haven't seen her since Charms." Lavender Brown was such a gossip.

"She's probably still crying in the bathroom, Lav. She's been in there all day... Should we do something?"

"Maybe she just wants to be alone-"

He didn't bother listening to the rest of their dribble. So Granger ditched classes to go cry in some bathroom? How unpleasant. His little conscience, the one that sounded just like Hermione sometimes, told him to go check on her. As her only friend, it was sort of his duty. He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle, who were digging into the great pumpkin pies, and heaved a great sigh. He excused himself from the table and waved off his friends when they asked if they should go with him. He exited the Great Hall slowly, as to not draw any attention, but he could feel his godfathers eyes on the back of his neck. He didn't turn around.

Draco kept walking until he was in front of the girls bathroom. He could hear her sniffling inside. With another heavy sigh, he entered the bathroom and made his presence known.

"Have you really been in here all day, Hermione?"

The sniffling stopped abruptly.

"You aren't supposed to be in here. This is the ladies room." She said in a quiet, shaky voice.

It struck Draco. He'd never really heard Hermione being anything but confident and insufferable. This vulnerable side wasn't pleasant to witness, no matter how much he wanted to pick at her while she was finally down. It just didn't seem okay to do. It was her first wizarding Halloween, after all, and she should be having fun.

"And you're supposed to attend class but you didn't listen to that rule either." He walked closer to where he suspected she was. "Open up."

"No," she hiccuped, pathetically, in his opinion, "You should g-go."

He rolled his eyes and opened the door himself. Her face was covered by her hands but he could tell she was still crying by the way her shoulders shook. Her hair was even more bushy than normal. He felt bad for her. Wait, what?

Did he really feel sympathy for someone he'd been planning on using for all her worth?

She hiccuped again.

Yes. He really did.

"Why are you hiding, Hermione?" He awkwardly tried to get her hands off her face. Comforting people was so _uncomfortable_. Mother made it seem so easy.

She looked up at him with watery brown eyes and stared for a long moment. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pulled out a long Sugar Quill. She took it slowly.

"You're missing out on the best holiday in the Wizarding World because some prat probably upset you."

Hermione flinched and Draco felt that he had guessed correctly.

He continued, "So who was it?"

"It wa-wasn't really him entirely.. It's just- He was right."

Now, Draco was really interested. "Who?"

"Ron."

"Weasley?" He cringed in disgust, "You've been crying in this sodding bathroom all day because of that idiot?"

"I have no friends!" Hermione covered her mouth with her hands and looked up at him cautiously.

Draco hadn't expected it to sting a little when she said she had no friends. He was her friend, right? At least, in private.

"Then I guess I should leave." He narrowed his eyes.

Hermione stood up quickly and stopped him from leaving.

"No, please, I didn't mean it like that," in what Draco figured was probably a fit of madness, she hugged him and said, "You're my best friend."

Before he could respond, there was a great rumbling near the door. Draco knew being caught in the girls bathroom would get him a one way ticket to trouble. He pushed Hermione back into the stall she'd been hiding in and joined her inside. He locked the door. Hermione seemed to be in shock. He made a shushing motion with his finger to his lips. She nodded. There was a foul stench filling the bathroom and another booming noise shook all the stall doors. Draco paled. That couldn't be... He moved Hermione out of the way and stood on the loo. He looked over the stall door and peaked at where the noise had come from.

_Oh hell no_. He hopped off the loo and couldn't figure out what to say to Hermione. He was in shock. On the other side of the doors, was a fully grown mountain troll, armed with an enormous club that could squish the both of them sooner than he could say 'move'. Draco's panic was further justified by the loud, crashing noise of the stall furthest from them being decimated by the troll.

Hermione screamed.

Draco's panic vanished for a moment and he was able to be angry at her for giving away their position.

"What the hell, Hermione?!" He hurriedly unlocked the door and pushed her out. He dragged her behind one of the sinks. She looked as though she were about to faint. The troll had continued to beat at the bathroom stalls. Draco winced when it reached the stall they had been in.

He looked at the door and saw it swing open. His heart leapt. Surely a teacher would be able to-

"Confuse it!"

Oh bloody hell.

Potter and Weasley were definitely not what he'd been hoping for in rescuers, but they'd have to do. The troll was distracted by the two boys. Draco tried to pull Hermione towards the door but she seemed rooted in place.

"Hermione, c'mon, we are going to die." He yanked her arm and she stumbled after him.

"Oi, pea-brain!" Draco heard the Weasley yell. He also heard the troll being struck by a pipe. Hermione stopped moving again and pulled away from him. She pressed herself into the nearest wall and screamed again. Draco ducked just in time for the trolls club to go right where his head had once been. That was too close...

The troll turned to Weasley and advanced on him and Draco noticed Potter had the 'I'm going to do something stupidly brave' look on his face. Just the same one he'd had when he went after the Remembrall.

Harry jumped onto the troll's back and stayed there. Draco gaped at him, in a very un-Malfoy-like way.

Draco saw the troll's free hand start to reach for Harry and, in an act he would later categorize as adrenaline-driven, he jumped onto the troll's arm and held on for dear life. He was swung forward and back until Weasley used a charm to disarm the troll and knock it out with a quick swish and flick. Draco felt woozy when he let go of the troll's arm and he hurried to get back to Hermione, who was still standing in shock against the wall. She grasped his arm. After the troll hit the ground with a loud 'thud', the four first years looked at each other.

As Draco caught his breath, he analyzed the situation. Four ickle first years had taken down a mountain troll. How lucky. How on earth had a troll gotten into the school? They were dumber than Crabbe and Goyle, and that was saying something. With a hint of regret, he realized he'd just willingly worked alongside Potty and Weasel. He gagged a bit. He looked at Harry, who was looking right back at him, and he could tell the other boy was very confused. Hell, Draco was confused, too. Hermione's fingers were beginning to cut off the circulation in his arm so he pried her off. Harry and Ron came closer to where Draco and Hermione were standing in the rubble.

"Are you two alright?" Harry asked, wheezing.

Draco looked at Hermione, who was staring at the unconscious troll, and then back at Harry.

"I suppose we are."

Hermione took a careful step forward and asked, "Is it- dead?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."

Draco gagged when Harry pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. That was _disgusting_.

"Urgh- troll boogers."

A sudden slamming made all four of the children jump and swing around to look at the door.

Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell were standing in the doorway, out of breath and in shock at the scene in front of them.


	6. Hermione3

I'm grateful for the positive response I'm getting on this story. Please leave a review so I can make it even better for you all! :) 

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Luckily, for everyone, Hermione regained her wits when the teachers demanded answers. She winced as McGonagall raised her voice.

"You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?" McGonagall's anger was directed at Harry, but Hermione couldn't help but feel horrible for it all. She saw Snape about to advance on Draco as well, so she spoke up.

"Please, Professors- the boys were looking for me." She said in a shaky voice, "I-I went looking for the troll because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own, you know- because I've read all about them."

It killed Hermione to lie to her favorite teacher, but had those three boys not thought about her, she would have been dead. She looked at the troll and felt a chill run down her spine. It had been out for blood. She steadied her voice and continued.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Draco tried to get me out when the troll appeared and I was too frightened to move. If he hadn't gotten me out of the bathroom stall, it would have crushed me. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived."

Professor Snape didn't seem to accept her story, but he didn't say anything. It was slightly true. McGonagall, on the other hand, looked severely disappointed in her. It hurt to know she had let her idol down.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Hermione's shoulders slumped as she slipped past Draco and Professor Snape and left. She lingered near the door long enough to hear Snape give Slytherin five points for Draco's involvement and then scurried up to the Tower. On her way there, she thought about what had just taken place. One, she'd _actually told_ Draco she thought of him as her best friend. Her face flamed in repressed embarrassment.

He couldn't possibly think as highly of her. She had probably ruined whatever fragile friendship they had with those five words. _You are my best friend._

Two, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had saved her from a mountain troll. Harry, when she thought about it, wasn't a surprise, as he was always helping people. Ron, on the other hand, always had an insult ready for her.

And three, they hadn't been expelled. Or killed. She supposed that was the best part of the whole ordeal.

She gave the Fat Lady the password, '_Pig Snout_', and waited just on the other side of the portrait hole for Harry and Ron. Both of them thoroughly confused her. They'd never given her the time of day and now they had risked their lives to save her and Draco from the troll. They definitely hated Draco, so she was sure that they'd only done it for her. Why else would they have come to the girl's bathroom? She felt grateful.

The portrait hole opened up again and she nervously looked at the both of them. They seemed to be just as awkward as she was. She muttered 'Thanks' at the same time as them and pushed through the piles of people in the Common Room to get to the staircase. By the time she reached her bed, she was thoroughly done with Halloween and all it entailed. She changed into her night clothes and closed the curtains on her bed. She set herself up with the _Standard Book of Spells Grade 2_ and picked up where she had left off in the advanced book.

-oOo-

The next morning, Hermione was surprised to find Harry and Ron waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase. Still a bit defensive, she clutched her Potions book tightly in her arms.

"Good morning." She said and the boys gave her tentative smiles.

"Double Potions today. Reckon Snape will take away another hundred points?" Ron joked as they walked to breakfast together. Hermione found it strange that he was being so cordial with her, considering he'd just made her cry all day the day before. It seemed as though he'd accepted her, after all, they did fight a troll together (sort of) and she did lie to a teacher to get them out of trouble. Hermione laughed along with Harry as they entered the Great Hall.

"Only if we get everything right." Harry quipped before he sat down at the table. Most of the students were beginning to appear and the table was filling fast. Hermione sat down beside Harry and Ron sat across from them. As the boys engaged in a rapid fire battle of 'Best Snape Impression,' Hermione took the time to look over at the Slytherin table. There were no signs of Draco, but his tough friends were already there. She wondered what else Snape might have said to Draco in private about the troll. It bothered her. How on earth could a troll get into the castle? Someone had to have let it in, at least, and let it roam free. She had a feeling it had something to do with the giant dog and the trapdoor on the third floor. Hogwarts was a dangerous place, it seemed.

Her face flamed again when she thought about her _best friend._ She shouldn't have said it out loud. They'd only known each other for almost two months. Carly and Lydia from her old school once told her that in order to be a real best friend, you had to know a person for years. Hermione thought they'd only said it in order to get her away from them, but maybe it was true. The wizarding world was very different.

Although, Harry and Ron seemed to be the best of friends and she was sure they'd only met on the train the same day she'd met Draco. She admitted their friendship was very different from her own, but still, that must mean those daft girls in primary school were wrong. Carly was an especially vapid little girl, now that Hermione thought about it.

"What do you think, Hermione?"

"What?" She snapped her attention back to Ron, who was pointing between himself and Harry. It was then she realized she had been chosen to judge their little competition and she definitely hadn't been paying attention.

"One last go for the both of you, then I'll decide." She said, and she made sure to pay her new friends close attention. All thoughts of Draco were pushed to the back of her mind as she laughed with every drawn out syllable Harry was saying.


	7. Draco4

Draco was already having a bad day _before_ he arrived late to breakfast. First, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini get on his case, before he's even out of bed, about whether or not the Tornados win the League this year or not. Then, they wouldn't stop asking why his godfather had brought him back personally from the Halloween feast. He evaded their questioning by diverting their attention back to Quidditch.

After getting dressed, Crabbe and Goyle complained about the feast being cut short. Draco had enough of their whining almost instantly and sent them off without him.

Draco had woken up irritable enough without people bothering him.

The fight with the troll had been _insane_.

Trolls were _stupid_. They wouldn't be able to enter the castle without help from a higher being. That thought plagued Draco all night and he just could not figure out who had let it in. Around three in the morning, he decided it would be best to just ask Hermione what she thought. But the lack of sleep for the growing boy left him tired and extra moody.

Draco arrived at the Great Hall at the same time the morning post flew in. He hurried to sit down between Pansy and Crabbe.

"Good morning, Draco." Pansy said, unusually cheerful. He nodded in reply. A letter dropped onto his plate. It was from mother.

Draco read it quickly and it helped his mood greatly. Mother always seemed to know what to say, even if she didn't know that her only child had just gone up against a fully grown mountain troll. She had hoped he had a wonderful Halloween and waxed on about how quiet the house was now that he was gone.

Draco may idolize Father, but he adores Mother. Mother definitely adored him back, that was for sure. She spoiled him rotten and he knew it. A lot of the time he took advantage of it, but he was always sure to make sure she knew how much she meant to him. Father had once told him that one of the better ways to judge a man's character was to watch the way they treat their mothers. He took that bit of advice straight to heart. Draco knew he was many unsavory things, but he could at least say that he always treated his mother right.

He decided to write back after lunch, as the Slytherins had a free period after Double Potions.

He peered over Goyle to get a glimpse of the Gryffindor Table. He could see Hermione sitting with Harry and Ron, laughing about something. She looked like she was having _fun_.

Draco glared at them. That hadn't been a part of the plan. It seemed as though their little adventure yesterday had convinced Potter and Weasley that Hermione was worthy of their time now. Draco didn't like that at all. Especially since Weasley was the reason Hermione had been in that blasted bathroom in the first place. How could she have forgiven him, just like that?

He was a little miffed at Hermione, too. She was probably just desperate for more friends, he thought bitterly. Abruptly, he stopped that train of thought. Before the troll attacked, she had called him her best friend. That thought comforted him some. Even though she seemed to be getting along with the two Gryffindor boys, she thought of Draco highly enough to call him her greatest friend. Draco felt flattered and then thought about his family. His grandfather Abraxas would turn in his grave if he knew who his grandson was associating himself with. Draco felt spurred on by the thrill of rebellion. He was breaking unspoken rules and _loving_ it.

A Malfoy being friends with a Muggleborn was just about the biggest rule he could break without being disowned. The real treasonous act would be to marry one, like ex-Aunt Andromeda, and Draco had absolutely no plans to ever do that. Girls were gross, in his ever-correct opinion.

Once Draco finished breakfast, Crabbe and Goyle walked with him to the Potions dungeon. It was as cold and damp as always. Draco often wondered how his godfather never got sick being down there all the time.

He noticed something off about the classroom immediately. There were no candles. The only light in the room was from the torches near the door and the ones at the end of the room by Professor Snape's desk.

"Yesterday, my Seventh Years made a First Year mistake. Can anyone take a guess as to what happened?" Snape appeared out of the darkness. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His godfather always had a knack for the dramatic.

One of the Gryffindor girls, Patil, raised her hand and said, "They added the wrong ingredient?"

"No. Another guess?"

Finnigan spoke next, "Their flames were too high?"

"Wrong. One more?"

Pansy waved her hand in the air and said, "Did they rush, sir?"

"A point for Slytherin. One pair of N.E.W.T. students didn't wait the full thirty seconds to add a slip of Wiggenweld bark to their Wiggenweld potions. The resulting explosion has made it impossible to brew the cure for boils like I had planned on doing today. Instead, we're going to do an exercise-"

At this, Draco noted that Crabbe and Goyle had turned to each other in panic.

"-In caution. Line up against the wall. Put your books down."

The Gryffindors grouped together before they dispersed noisily to get into their spots. Draco felt a bit of pride in his house for being quiet and prompt. He caught Hermione's eye and she smiled at him. He made a point of looking to the boys on either side of her and then back to her. She smiled even more and shrugged minutely.

_Ugh_. She was so... _happy_. Draco rolled his eyes at her and paid attention to what Snape was starting to say.

"The lights in the room were dimmed because scarab beetles won't move in the light. I will release them for forty-five seconds. If you move before or after the forty-fifth second, they will crawl on you. If you move at exactly the forty-fifth second, you can go to a desk. Go."

Draco started counting immediately and noticed his peers had panicked for a second. The classroom was tense as they were all trying to keep track of the time. A lot of the girls were whispering the wrong times out loud. Draco strained to look at Hermione and found she was mouthing the correct time, just like he was.

A few seconds before time, Lavender Brown started to move. She screamed as beetles started crawling up her legs. Draco hurriedly left his spot. No beetles. He looked across the room and noticed with displeasure that Hermione had pulled Harry and Ron with her at the correct moment. As the rest of the class began to panic, Professor Snape vanished the scarab beetles away.

"Sit down at this table, you four. The rest of you; let's try it again."

Draco drowned out the Professor's lecture. Hermione had been moving to sit between Potter and Weasley. On a whim, filled with possessiveness, Draco tugged her to sit next to him instead. Weasley and Potter sat on her other side. Hermione looked at him strangely but he kept looking forward.

He would _not_ let Potter and Weasley take his _best friend_ from him.


	8. Hermione4

AN: Thank you so much for all the great input. It makes me so happy to see so many people enjoy this story. Please review so I can know what you like best, and what needs work. Don't be afraid to criticize me! :)

And now, Hermione!

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After lunch, Harry and Ron wanted to go down to the Quidditch Pitch to try and see if Slytherin was practicing or not. Harry was very nervous about the first match of the season and Hermione knew she just had to help him in whatever ways she could. Just a few days prior, she had checked out _Quidditch Through The Ages_ in an attempt to understand what in the world Draco was talking about sometimes. Hermione thought it a brilliant stroke of luck, and she was sure Madame Pince wouldn't mind if she lent it to Harry for a week. Hopefully, it would help Harry gain some confidence.

"Aren't you coming with us, Hermione?", asked Harry. Ron nodded behind him.

Hermione bit her lip. She really needed to speak to Draco, and she knew he also had free time right now.

"I need to go to the library. You two go ahead, I'll see you at dinner."

Hermione wasn't going to the library, but Harry and Ron didn't need to know that.

She dropped her bag off in her dormitory and left Gryffindor tower in search of her friend. She made it almost twenty meters away before she was plucked behind a tapestry. Her initial fear gave way to her quick temper and she shoved Draco away from her.

"What'd you do that for?" She complained and crossed her arms. Draco, to his credit, looked a _little_ guilty. She noticed he also looked upset.

"You were going to see me, weren't you?" He smirked. Hermione knew, somewhere deep down, that one day, his attitude would drive her mad.

"Yes, actually. You were acting strange today." Hermione wasn't one to beat around the bush.

His smirk disappeared. "I was acting perfectly normal. You're the one who's suddenly Potter and Wealsey's third wheel."

Hermione bristled. _Third wheel?_

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"As though you haven't been following them around all day."

"We're friends.." She was confused. Why was he making it such a big deal?

"Ah, I see. They make you cry and suddenly you're all the best of friends. Makes perfect sense." Draco's tone became more and more biting. She knew he was right, it didn't make a lot of sense, but in her heart, she felt it was right.

"They saved our lives!" She stamped her foot on the stone ground.

Draco huffed, "You wouldn't have needed saving, had they not upset you in the first place."

Hermione went silent and didn't look at her best friend. He sounded really upset, not really with her, but with Harry and Ron. Hermione didn't think having more friends would be so complicated. She was only _12_! She shouldn't have to feel badly about branching out her friendships. Harry and Ron were pleasant company, very different from Draco, but still, he had his good points too. Plus, she'd _earned_ Draco's friendship.

When she had studied the four Houses, she noticed that while Slytherin's were often pressing the importance of the individual, their friendships were some of the strongest. This was because a typical Slytherin's friendship had to be earned, meaning if you didn't put in effort, you were on your own.

"Why are you getting so upset about it? Shouldn't you be happy for me?" She caught his eye and didn't flinch when he glared at her.

Draco seemed to lose his air of confrontation. She stopped glaring back at him.

"Look, Hermione," he rolled his eyes, "Just make sure not to trust them so soon."

She couldn't help but point out, "They'd say the same if I told them about you."

Draco flinched and Hermione regretted her observation. She never meant to say mean things to him. While Harry and Ron didn't like him one bit, he was still her best friend. Hermione would _always_ be loyal to him.

"I'm sorry, that was mean." She sat on a bench in the secret passage behind the tapestry and looked at her swaying feet. Draco sat to her right.

"It's fine. We're still," he paused, as though debating something far more complex than an eleven year old should be debating, and finished, "...best friends."

Hermione beamed. "Really?"

He had said it._ He said best friends._

Draco nodded quietly beside her.

"I've never been someone's best friend before." She almost felt like giggling. _Almost_.

Draco looked uncomfortable when he said, "Remember, it's a secret."

Those four words dampened her high but she didn't stop smiling.

"Of course. And you won't mind if I spend more time with Harry and Ron, will you?"

Draco scoffed in a tone Hermione knew was only slightly joking, "They need all the help they can get from someone as smart as you."

She laughed and agreed with him slightly. Draco really did have his good points, one being his ability to cheer her up with a few words. That's really all Hermione needed in a friend. She hoped she was as good a friend to him as he was to her.

She looked at him closely and tilted her head. There was a slight mark on his face. "Are you alright? I mean, from last night? You didn't get hurt?"

He puffed up and waved off her concern, "I'm fine. All I did was hold it's arm away from Potty."

Hermione decided that Draco, for all his talk, was in need of some attention for his ego. She let her gratitude show on her face.

"Thank you, you know. For saving me," she paused and hurriedly hugged him, "And for coming to find me in the first place. You're the best, Draco."

He had stiffened as soon as she had put her arms around him. She released him and he looked more comfortable. She'd have to refrain from hugs, she noted.

"Hmm... Have you figured it out yet, Brainy?"

"Huh?"

"Why there was a mountain troll in a highly secure castle full of children? Haven't you thought about it?"

Hermione nodded quickly, "Oh, that. Well, obviously someone let it in. I personally think it was either a poor prank or a distraction."

Both of them swung their legs back and forth on the bench. It made a small clicking noise with every swing.

Draco seemed to evaluate her answer and slowly nodded after a few seconds.

"That's a good theory. I was thinking the same thing. There's no way it could have gotten into the school without the help of someone good enough to control it."

Control... She tucked that bit of information into her mind for later. There were plenty of creature controlling spells, she was sure of it. She'd have to go to the library after all. Maybe it had something to do with the dog on the third floor...

As she sat and listened to Draco's more far-fetched theories about the troll, like if it was transfigured into a tea cup and then brought into the castle, Hermione couldn't help but think her mother was right in the end. She'd been entirely herself and found _real_ friends. She just hadn't been patient enough in the beginning.

Just this once, Hermione was glad to have been wrong.


	9. Draco5

Draco was glad he'd let Hermione perform that warming charm on his scarf before the match. It was _bloody freezing_ outside. That didn't dampen anyone's mood though. The stands were still packed with people, and from across the pitch, he could just barely make out Hermione and Ron sitting next to Hagrid in the Gryffindor stands. It was hard to miss Hagrid, in any case.

Hermione had been siphoning his brain for Quidditch knowledge all week and it had been a blow to his pride when it took him_ all that time_ to realize she'd just wanted to help Harry. He didn't talk to her about Quidditch after that. She could be _so_ manipulating. He'd have to watch that.

But he'd watch that later. _Now_ was the time for watching the match of the year. Slytherin had beaten Gryffindor the year before and, from all the talk in the common room, Draco knew they'd be playing dirty to make sure they won again. He wasn't surprised when Flint crashed into Potter and nearly knocked the Seeker off his broom. He clapped with the rest of his house, even though Hooch looked furious.

"So- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-" Lee Jordan was as biased a commentator as they came, Draco thought. McGonagall wasn't having it.

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

"Jordan, I'm warning you!"

"Alright, alright. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Draco kept his eyes on Harry instead of the chasers that were battling it out in the air. Harry seemed to be having broomstick problems. A new nimbus shouldn't be bucking like that after a little hit. After Slytherin scored, most people started noticing the way Harry was hanging from his broom. Draco looked for Hermione and couldn't see her where she had been. He escaped the crowd and snuck into the stairs underneath the teacher's stands. To his surprise, he found Hermione rushing past him. He watched her knock over Professor Quirrell and... what was she...

She set Snape on fire.

Draco couldn't believe it. Hermione Granger, Princess of Rules and Stuffiness, was _setting a teacher on fire_. He stood in shock until she took the flames away in a jar and came racing back towards him. He noticed that the cries of the crowd were less panicked and knew his best friend had something to do with it. He caught the hem of her cloak and stopped her from running off.

"Why'd you do that?" He hissed.

She feigned ignorance, badly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He pulled her further down the stairs to avoid anyone. She could have been expelled for attacking a teacher. He told her as much and watched with satisfaction as she paled and fiddled with the jar of fire in her hands.

"He was jinxing Harry's broom." She finally said, and Draco was sort of surprised that he wasn't really shocked to hear that. Snape _hated_ Potter. It was obvious. Still, he didn't think his godfather would really try to kill a student, no matter how much he loathed them.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded three times. "I saw it myself. He had eye contact and he was mouthing some sort of incantation."

Before Draco could come up with an explanation, there was a giant roar from the Gryffindor stands. The stands shook with the intensity of the cheering. Hermione and Draco rushed to see what had happened and as soon as he saw Harry waving the Snitch in the air, he groaned.

"We won!" Hermione laughed happily until she saw Draco pouting. He reached into his pocket and dropped two Galleons into her hand.

"You win this time." He should have never made the bet. Two Galleons was nothing to him, but it was the pride behind the bet that cost him the most. Hermione smugly pocketed the coins and dragged him all the way down the stairs.

"Do you want to-," she started to ask, but stopped herself, "Oh.."

Draco raised a brow, "What?"

"Well..." she began uncomfortably, "I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us to Hagrid's. But we can't- I mean-I'd love if-"

"Secret." Draco interrupted her.

"Yeah." Hermione seemed sad that he couldn't come with her. He was beginning to realize that keeping their friendship a secret, now that Hermione actually had other friends, was going to be even harder.

"Meet me in the library after dinner?", asked Draco, and he made sure to put on a winner's smile.

Hermione nodded hurriedly, "Okay, I'll see you then."

He heard people starting to come down from the stands and shooed her away. She ran back to where Hagrid and Ron were still clapping and hollering in celebration.

Draco let himself be found by Theodore and they left the Pitch. Theo wasn't so bad, if you got past the fact he was so loud. Most of them had been dealing with Theo's loud mouth for years.

"Rotten luck, huh, Malfoy? I still say they shouldn't have let Potter play. My parents say Dumbledore's a big pushover, but I didn't believe them until now."

Draco nodded, "It's breaking tradition. There hasn't been a first year on a team in over a century."

"Flint was talking about us needing a new Seeker anyways. Higgs had a growth spurt over the summer, apparently. He's too big now. Flint said he might drop him at the end of the year."

That planted an idea in Draco's head. He was a natural on a broom, and while he'd seen himself more as a Chaser, Seeker wasn't too bad. He was still small and agile on a broom. Yes, being Seeker wouldn't be bad at all. He'd have to talk to Father. Draco knew his father had played Quidditch back in school.

"Hmm, you think Flint'll follow through?" Draco asked as they entered the morose common room.

"Oh yeah, definitely. Especially now. We've got to beat Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff with points to spare if we want to win the Cup. Of course, Higgs will probably be training his arse off now that his spot is on the line-" Theo went on about Terence Higgs and his training habits for half an hour. Draco nodded at the appropriate moments, but he wasn't listening.

He was thinking about Snape and the match. Hermione had said she saw him casting a jinx on Harry's broomstick but he just couldn't believe it. It was as unsettling as when she told him that Potter had seen Snape's bloody, mangled leg in the staffroom. They had previously discussed the giant three headed dog on the third floor, but Hermione was drawing some pretty heavy conclusions. He found himself believing her.

Snape had probably let the troll in to distract the student body, just so he could go to the third floor and that trapdoor. But the dog did its job and Snape ran out of time.

Draco felt uncomfortable thinking bad things about his godfather. He'd known him all his life as a stern man who was a good role model. Now, he was starting to think he was a bit spiteful. He had heard his parents talking about how Snape never liked Potter's father and Draco thought he was being a tad bit childish, if he was projecting that hate on Potter. Not that Draco didn't dislike Potter, too, just he had a good reason to.

And what on earth was so important underneath that trapdoor?

Draco felt a headache coming on.

Being friends with Hermione was, apparently, going to make his life so much more complicated than it needed to be.


	10. Hermione5

Wow! I can't believe how many people are reading this. Thank you all! Please review, I'll try to answer any questions you may have. :)

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It wasn't hard to get away from Harry and Ron after dinner. Everyone kept congratulating Harry on a match well played. Hermione thought it wonderful how Harry didn't boast about it. He was very humble about the whole thing, and even said he'd only gotten the Snitch by pure luck. Ron wasn't being humble about the win _at all_. He kept running up to everyone he could, telling them how his best friend was Gryffindor's hero and how he'd given him a few tips before the match. Hermione rolled her eyes. She slipped from the common room relatively unnoticed.

She just had to tell Draco about Nicholas Flamel, whoever he was. Maybe he would know who it was. And if he didn't, she'd just look in the library.

Hermione adored the library. Madame Pince was always helpful and kind. She had even let Hermione check out a book usually reserved for Third Years. It was a safe place. There were answers to her many questions and Draco's friends never checked for him there.

She swerved out of the way of a couple of giggling Sixth Years.

The corridors were awfully crowded for a Saturday evening. Most of the time, Hermione had noticed, students stayed in their common rooms after dinner. The library was always extra empty, unless a teacher had given a massive assignment out. There was always a Seventh Year lounging in the library though. Always.

Madame Pince greeted her happily and Hermione waved at her as she hurried to the far corner of the library where Draco would be.

He wasn't there.

It was unusual, considering every other time they'd met, he'd been there first. She decided to get a head start on researching Flamel and found _Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century_ on a nearby shelf. She'd start there. Hermione sat down at a small table and scanned the index of the book. No Flamel, but she wasn't about to give up. She resolved to read the entire thing. After twenty minutes of reading about Matilda Ace, Draco showed up looking pale and slightly out of breath. Hermione waited for him to sit down.

"What happened?"

"I went to see it myself. The dog."

Hermione didn't want to believe it.

"You _what_?"

He held up his sleeve and showed her where it had snapped at him. There was a long tear in his robe and Hermione worriedly fixed it with her wand.

"Draco, you were lucky it didn't actually bite you." She whispered angrily. That was an incredibly reckless act for him to do. He should have just taken her word for it. Stupid boy.

"I suppose. I saw the trapdoor, too. You were right. Now I want to know what's down there that's so bloody important."

Hermione couldn't fathom how he managed to dismiss his near-death like nothing. She had seethed for days after meeting Fluffy. She pushed her book to the center of the table and pouted.

"Well, Harry, Ronald, and I found out it has something to do with Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." Hermione drummed her fingers on the table and waited for Draco to say something. He didn't. He just stared hard at the table.

"Do you know who that is?" She finally asked. He snapped out of his trance.

"The name sounds really familiar, like I've read it a bunch of times. But I'm not sure where..." He shrugged, "I'm sure it'll come to me."

Frustrated, Hermione pulled the book closer and started reading again. After a few minutes, Draco nudged her.

"What do you think is down there? It'd have to be something really rare for Professor Snape to try and get it."

Hermione had been thinking about that. Perhaps it was a rare potion ingredient, or a way to get Quirrell's job, or.. She snorted- better shampoo.

Once the first laugh left her lips, she couldn't stop. She felt Draco staring at her as though she was certifiable but that didn't help, it only made her laugh harder. She tried desperately to stay quiet and smothered her laughs behind her hands. It took, in her opinion, much too long to regain control of herself and as soon as she managed to look Draco in the eye again, she dissolved into giggles again.

"I don't know if it's something I said, but if it was, remind me to never say it again." He scooted away from her slightly.

Finally, she calmed down enough to share her little thought with him. He didn't find it as nearly as funny as she did.

"You do know he works in potion fumes all day, don't you?" Draco sneered slightly and Hermione was taken aback. Why was he _defending_ Snape?

"He is also trying to get whatever Dumbledore is hiding."

"Details."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She wouldn't be changing his mind about Snape any time soon.

"Alright, alright… Why'd you _have_ to go see Fluffy?"

"_Fluffy?"_

"Oh, I _know_. That's what I said." She flipped another page.

"I was.. curious. A Ceberus in a school? I had to see it myself."

She sent him a hard look. "Because a troll wasn't enough?"

"Yes."

"Ugh, boys." She sighed loudly. He shrugged.

She started scanning the pages for any thing with a capital 'N'. Beside her, Draco took out his Astronomy homework and started drawing constellations. Hermione peered at his paper several times. Everything was right. She looked around a little confused. He didn't have his book out.

"You know them by heart?" Hermione was _impressed. _She still had to look at her book to get them aligned properly.

He snapped out of the small trance he was in and snorted.

"Mother was a Black. There was no way I'd get to the age of 11 and _not_ know them well."

"Why's that?"

"They've got some sick fascination with everything that has to do with being above everyone else."

She laughed and shook her head. "That's awful."

"That's life."

Hermione just shook her head more. "I think it's a nice tradition. There is a lot of history behind the stars. It is a tradition, right?"

"Yes. Lots of Purebloods are named after constellations, but the Blacks are famous for it. Don't Muggles have things like that?"

Hermione thought about his question, or rather, what it meant when asked _by_ Draco.

She knew that he knew next to nothing about Muggles and still thought them beneath him. It still hurt her feelings a bit. Maybe, if she could just tell him about the wonders of the Muggle world, he would change his mind.

"Well, not really. I mean, Muggles do name children after relatives and people in history, but it's not strictly tradition. My parents named me after a character in a play." She flipped a few more pages.

"They must be _so_ interesting." The heavy sarcasm was not lost on her.

She sent him a quick glare. When he looked oh so _not guilty,_ she went back to her book with a huff. With no mentions of Flamel, she finally shut it. He wouldn't be there. She tapped her wand on the book on the upper right corner of the cover, whispered 'domum redire', and it floated up and into its previous position on the shelf.

When she turned back around to face her friend, he wasn't there.

"Draco?"

"_Hermione_?"

She flipped back around and looked just as shocked as Harry and Ron did.


	11. Draco6

The second he caught a glimpse of that stupid red hair, he pushed his homework into his bag and ran for it. Hermione was probably going to yell at him for ditching her later, but that was a small price to pay in order to avoid a confrontation with Potter and Weasley. His quick thinking had saved their secret. He hoped.

On his way back to the dungeons, he had to duck behind a knight statue to avoid two 5th year prefects on patrol. He found it strange that a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw prefect were on the same route, but dismissed it as soon as they cleared the next corner. He didn't have time to dwell on interhouse prefect schedules. He was out after curfew.

Draco peered around the statue and took off at a sprint towards the entrance to the common room.

Wheezing, he said the password and made his way to his dormitory. The Slytherin Common Room was located underneath the lake, and it was starting to get unbearably cold inside. Father had said the elves were commanded to let the room get colder at night so that people wouldn't stay up all night talking. Judging by the groups of people huddled together in layers around the room, it didn't really work. He shoved his way to his dormitory and shut the door behind him with a quick 'snap'.

Theo, Blaise, Greg, and Vince were sitting in a circle in the middle of the room playing gobstones.

"Where've you been, Draco?" Gregory flicked another stone onto the board and missed Blaise's piece by millimeters. Tough luck.

"Around." He answered vaguely, and changed into his pajamas before he sat down with the group. Apparently, he had missed a tournament of sorts, and Greg and Blaise were duking it out for the title of champion. The other boys were placing bets on the winner. Blaise tossed a bright stone onto the 'Snake Pit' board and knocked one of Greg's stones in. The stone burst and released a splash of sour smelling liquid onto Gregory.

Vincent and Theo started laughing while Draco just smirked and moved away from the smell.

The boys stayed up well past their recommended lights out time.

-oOo-

Draco was worried. He was sure it showed all over his face, because Pansy and Tracey hadn't stopped asking him 'what's wrong?' since noon.

Hermione was _ignoring _him.

And it wasn't her usual '_I'm-ignoring-you-right-to-your-face-and-you-need-t o-feel-bad-until-I'm-happy-again_' ignoring. Oh no, he wouldn't have minded that. She always ended up responding after he put out a few drawn out monologues.

_This _was full blown '_Draco-Malfoy-doesn't-exist_' ignoring, and Draco didn't like it one bit. He couldn't even comfort himself with the thought of her being alone, because now she had actual friends!

The worst part was the way Potter and Weasley kept giving him strange looks in the corridors all day long. Draco didn't think they knew about his friendship with Hermione. He was sure they would have come after him first thing in the morning.

But breakfast passed without incident. And so did their morning break, and lunch, and most of dinner.

He had to admit, it was very strange not talking to Hermione for an entire day, especially considering it was the weekend. Over the course of almost three months, she had wormed herself into at least ten minutes of his life per day. In the beginning, it had been longer, but then Potter and Weasley adopted her and most of her spare time went to them.

It was unacceptable. He doubled his grip on his fork and stabbed the poor carrot on his plate with much more force than necessary. Stupid _orange_ vegetable.

Further down the Slytherin table, he saw Terence Higgs speaking in hushed tones with Adrian Pucey. Something was definitely wrong with the Sixth Year Seeker if he was talking to a lowly Third Year, even if they were teammates. Draco filed that away for later. He had learned quickly that gathering information on everyone was key in Slytherin, as you never knew when you'd need to put it to good use. If Higgs was going to Pucey, there was obviously some sort of unease throughout the Quidditch team, and if it got bad enough, Draco knew he'd have a fair chance at making it next year.

He felt like someone was watching him. He looked at the Head Table and Snape wasn't there. He turned back to peer at the Gryffindor Table and wished he hadn't.

Hermione and her friends were staring back at him. He looked away quickly but he could still feel their glares.

He was being ridiculous. He was a _Malfoy_, for Merlin's sake! What was he doing cowering because of _Gryffindors. _Draco stopped looking down and held his head high.

"Draco, are you alr-"

He cut off Daphne's question. "Just fine. Did you finish your Transfiguration homework, Daph?"

Draco had known Daphne Greengrass since his fifth birthday. Her mother had invited just about every well standing Pureblooded family to their home, in order to show off her _darling_ little girl. He remembers it well because Daphne was anything but darling. She was a menace. And, at the time, she bit. He still has the scar on his leg to prove it. They were friends as Daphne wasn't completely insane, just a little-

"_Oh_ _no_, I forgot all about it. Thanks, Draco."

Forgetful, at times. And Draco wasn't ashamed to take advantage of that, as long as she stopped hounding him.

Daphne said goodnight to her other friends and took off at a brisk walk. Draco could understand her rush. The new Transfiguration chapter could be tough, if you weren't ready to move on. Theory was so tedious. After being surrounded by magic all his life, Draco just _knew_ how things worked. He didn't really need to think about it. Spells only took about three tries and then they worked perfectly.

That's why he had been so sure he'd be top of his class. But along came Granger…

His eyes drifted back to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione, Harry, and Ron were preparing to leave. He stood up suddenly. Blaise and Vincent both looked at him strangely.

"I'm going to go help Daphne. Merlin knows she needs it."

With that, he walked right out of the Great Hall and waited next to the pillars by the huge doors.

"Do we _have _to spend our peaceful Sunday evening in the library?"

"We've only gone through 6 books, Ron. Don't you want to find out who Flamel is?"

"We haven't found one word about him, Hermione. Dumbledore probably took him out of the library on purpose."

As soon as the trio passed by, Draco stepped on the back of Hermione's cloak and she stumbled. She turned around and glowered at him before she pulled the fabric free.

Potter, ever the noble hero, immediately stood in front of Hermione and said, "What'd you do that for, _Malfoy_?"

Weasley came up to stand next to the Boy Who Lived.

Draco ignored them and looked at Hermione. "Have you tried researching _Dumbledore _instead, _Hermione?"_

He could practically hear the gears in her head turning and the light that entered her eyes meant that she'd definitely had an epiphany.

"Why didn't I think of that? Draco, that's- Dumbledore's in all the recent books, but I never..."

Hermione stopped abruptly and looked guiltily between her friends. Harry and Ron were gaping at her. Draco wasn't surprised. Surely they were under the impression that Hermione hated him just as much as they did. Draco smirked.

"Um, Hermione, you do know that you're talking to _Malfoy,_ don't you?" Ron asked, and Draco knew Hermione was about to blurt the truth. She shocked them all by stepping around Ron and Harry to stand in front of him.

"They won't tell _anyone_. _Please_?"

She was asking for permission. He made the mistake of looking at her and felt compelled to say yes, just to get her to stop being angry with him.

He sighed loudly and said, "Let's go find an empty classroom."


	12. Hermione6

Sorry for the wait! I've been busy socializing and painting my house. But here it is! I hope I kept them mostly in character..  
10 points (and a mention in next chapter) to the person who can tell me my favorite paragraph from this chapter! Hint: It's a sweet one.

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Hermione didn't like the way Harry and Ron were acting. As soon as they got to the unused History classroom, the two of them, mostly Ron, started demanding answers. She also didn't like the way Draco was letting her do all the talking. He just stood behind her, looking uninterested when she knew he was probably accidentally memorizing the entire conversation because he was so focused. He still didn't try to help her. She'd explained to Harry and Ron that she'd become friends with Draco long before she became theirs. They'd been stunned into silence, until Draco _twitched_, then they were back to 'this can't be, Hermione' and 'he's evil, Hermione' and the ever popular 'but it's _Malfoy'. _

Hermione forced her two housemates to listen to her again by creating a loud popping noise with her wand.

"Look, I know you don't like it. _You_ don't have to be his friend… Just-" She struggled for a split second until the right words poured out, "He's still my best friend, whether you two approve or not. And I'm not sorry for it."

Ron looked like he was getting ready to turn permanently red but Harry's vehement whispers of denial stopped. She wondered what he was thinking. Harry loathed Draco. He had, ever since he'd met him. Surely, Harry wouldn't be alright with it. She didn't have to wait long. Harry moved past her and up to Draco. Everyone was surprised when Harry held out his hand.

"Hello. I'm Harry Potter."

Oh, _that_ was much better than expected. He was actually giving Draco a second chance.

Hermione held her breath for the few tense seconds Draco appraised Harry's offer of, well, definitely not friendship, but strained acquaintanceship. She knew the expression on his face. He was nervous. A wave of relief swept through her as the two boys shook hands curtly.

"Draco Malfoy. A pleasure to meet you."

Everyone turned to Ron, who was a bright shade of fuchsia and obviously ruffled by the whole situation. He seemed to be struggling to understand what on Earth Harry was doing.

"Who are you and what've you done with the real Harry Potter?" Ron pointed accusingly at Harry. Hermione knew she was losing control of the conversation, but could only stand by Draco as Harry tried to diffuse the time bomb that was Ronald Weasley.

"But _Harry-"_

Ron kept throwing insults towards Draco's character and with each one, Hermione got closer to snapping. He was being unnecessarily mean. He didn't know Draco like she did. Harry seemed torn between supporting Ron, helping Hermione, or just staying neutral like he had tried to be.

"I can't even believe he came down from his throne to be friends with a commoner!"

That did it.

"Just stop it, Ron!" She yelled and startled all the boys, "Stop!"

"Look, Weasley, _we_ are never going to get along, ever," Draco finally spat out, "Just lie to Hermione and tell her you won't be a prat about her and I and she'll be happy at that. You're going to make her cry, _again_."

It was at that moment that Hermione knew she'd made a wonderful decision when she picked Malfoy as her best friend.

After a long minute, Ron no longer looked as though he was going to explode. He glared at Draco but softened his look when he turned to Hermione.

"No, I'm not going to lie.. Hermione, do you really have to-"

"Yes." She would not budge.

Budging meant possibly losing her friendship with Draco, and that was something Hermione wasn't about to take a chance on. While she'd initially wanted him as her friend for the long-term benefits, she knew Draco was a good friend, really, he was. On the days before tests, he studied with her. On boring evenings in the library, she entertained him with Muggle fairytales, no matter how many times he interrupted. When she was confused by a custom, he explained it to her simply. When he had trouble with a Goblin Rebellion, she explained the whole thing, start to finish. When she cried, he defended her. When people talked about him poorly, she discreetly gave them Jelly-Legs. When she got too excited over a book, he pretended to listen to her. They gave and took from each other all the time.

Yes, Draco was a really good friend in her eyes. A real friend.

Ron didn't like her answer. "Okay then, have fun with your _dear_ friend. I'm sure he'll be happy then, huh? Oh, but wait, Hermione, you can't be seen with him. _He_ doesn't even want to be seen with you! Some friend. He's just- just using you for that big brain of yours!"

Hermione had had enough and stomped in anger. "Just go away. Don't tell _anyone _about _anything_ or I'll hex you with everything I've got in this _big brain_ of mine!"

Ron stormed out of the room but returned a second later.

"Coming, Harry?"

Harry wilted under their eyes. He was still battling with himself. Hermione took pity on him.

"Just go, Harry, I'll leave in a few."

Harry nodded quickly and left with Ron.

Harry was being amazingly gracious considering how much he hated her best friend. He'd even compared him with his bully cousin. Hermione wouldn't deny that _yes_, Draco was a bully, but he'd been more than alright to her.

She turned to Draco and the fake smile slipped off of her face at the sight of his contemplative expression. He was planning something.

Hermione knew Draco was only agreeing because it meant being back in her good grace, but there was something else flitting about in his head and it worried her. A sudden chill swept through the room and the two first years knew they were in trouble.

Peeves had arrived.

"Oh! Are you Ickle Firsties hiding? It's after curfew; naughty, naughty!"

"Go away, Peeves!" Draco angrily threw a pebble at the poltergeist.

Peeves just swept over their heads, "I'll tell Filch, yes, that's what I'll do!"

Draco crossed his arms and called out, "Oh, Peeves? Should I go get the Baron from the dungeons? I'm sure he'll be glad to know how you're treating _me._"

Peeves seemed to notice exactly who he was messing with immediately and looked scared before he flew out of the room again.

Hermione already knew how that blatant lie had worked. One day, in the very same classroom, she and Draco had been playing Wizard's Chess when Peeves came crashing in, banging pots all around them. Draco had told him that he was the Baron's great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-grandson and threatened to tell on him if he didn't leave them alone. When Hermione asked about it later, he had simply shrugged and replied,

_"I lied."_

She chanced a glance at him and saw just how upset he was.

"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry." She sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands to hide her tears. She'd ruined _everything._


	13. Draco7

A/N: WhatIsEssentialToTheHeart figured it out! My favorite part of last chapter was the paragraph after Hermione doesn't budge. This chapter is really important so I hope you like it! Thank you for the overwhelming support on this fic. Please let me know how you feel!

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Due to the ways Potter and Weasley, mostly Weasley, often tried to trip him in the halls, taunted him in Potions, and never let Hermione away for more than an hour, Draco felt prepared for their little secret meeting to end in either blood or tears or both, but he hadn't been prepared for Hermione to say the things she said. If it weren't for her obvious blood status problem, she'd out-class all his friends and no one would have an issue with it. They'd say it was expected. On many occasions, he fell into dream worlds where Hermione wasn't a Muggleborn and had a respectable last name so they could just have a normal friendship, like he had with Daphne or Pansy. It would be much easier. Hermione was definitely different from the rest of his friends.

But really, if she asked him on a good day, he'd say Muggleborn Hermione was worth all the trouble. She took good care of all her things, and pushed people to do their best, helped when they needed it, fought when they couldn't, and once coaxed out of her shell, she was wickedly devious. Just the other night, she'd managed to talk Professor Sinistra into giving less homework for all the first years because of an upcoming Charms project. Over the weeks, she'd earned his unwavering friendship. Even if she was a slightly insufferable, know-it-all Muggleborn.

In Slytherin, friendship was never given, but earned. Once earned, it was tough to lose and a person gained a loyal ally in an otherwise hostile environment. Draco knew Hermione had more than earned a high standing in his books. She'd even stuck up for him to Potter and Weasley. He had noticed her gradual destabilization when Weasley kept hurling insults at him. As her best friend, he proudly thought it his duty to stop the stupid ginger from making her cry for the second time. But, he supposed, he had cut in too late.

That much was obvious, as Hermione hadn't stopped sniffling for almost six minutes.

He took a seat next to her and forced the scowl off his face. It had taken every ounce of self-control that he had, which wasn't much, to hold his tongue when the Weasel started throwing stones at his family. Contrary to popular belief, Draco cared little about what people said about the Malfoy reputation. Father had always told him to dismiss the horrible things people would say about him, because of what had happened when You-Know-Who was in power. Draco knew. He knew his father had been a prominent Death Eater. What he wasn't sure of was whether or not his father had really been under the Imperious Curse. Every time he eavesdropped on his parents when they talked about the old days, they never seemed to mention it. Whenever they talked about it with him, they never _stopped_ mentioning it. The way his mother's eyes lost their light when she spoke of that time confused him. The Malfoy history wasn't a pretty one, he'd admit.

But family reputation was one thing. Insulting his mother was an entirely different thing. Weasley had gone off on a tangent about how his mother must have been mind controlled to marry into such a crazy family. On one hand, it showed Weasley really didn't know anything about his mother, because she was a Black and _they _were the crazy ones. On the other, it infuriated Draco to the point of wanting to forget what Hermione would say if he gave the idiot two or three or ten good punches to the face. Weasley had upset him, _a lot._

Just thinking about it set a scowl back onto his face.

Hermione finally removed her hands from over her eyes. "I didn't think he'd say all those things."

"He's an idiot," Draco started, and the spell Father would use to conjure a handkerchief whenever Mother got too emotional at the theatre flitted into his mind. While the words escaped him, the wand movement didn't, and with good enough intention, a passable white handkerchief appeared at the tip of his wand. "Here."

She took it from him slowly and fiddled with it in her fingers for a moment before she used it to erase the tear tracks on her cheeks. While she tried to gather her wits, he swung his feet back and forth over the stone floor.

"Don't think too much about Weasley. It's me he hates, which is absolutely fine. He'll get over it, especially with Potter on your side."

"Harry's really nice."

Draco pressed his lips together and pulled a face. Potter _had_ been rather generous for Hermione's sake. No matter how much Draco thought him an arrogant, little twit, Potter had proved himself worthy of being Hermione's friend and Draco's acquaintance. Draco frowned. He was associating with two Gryffindors too many.

"I'm sorry about what Ron said about you. I wish I would have stopped him sooner." Hermione said, and she played with the fabric in her hands instead of looking at him.

Draco shook his head, "Don't apologize. I was, err- well, I wasn't listening to him, really."

He'd nearly admitted he was _touched_ by what she had said in his defense.

He continued, "And what I did hear was him being an idiot. You know I'm not ashamed to be your friend, right, Hermione?"

She nodded quickly. "It's better for both of us if we don't tell anyone."

Oh, that was new, coming from her.

She caught the question in his eyes.

"You saw the way Ron reacted- the other Gryffindor's would never give me a moments peace if they knew. They'd try to make me stop being friends with you. So, they don't need to know. And I know all about the hierarchy in your house. They'd shun you. I don't want you to lose your friends you've had for years over me. That'd be awful."

She didn't know the half of it. If they were discovered, he'd be shunned for sure, at first. After that, someone would probably let it slip to their parents that the Malfoy heir was muddying himself up at school. Their parents would tell _his_ parents and he didn't want to think about what would happen then.

He smirked, "Glad you've seen reason. I'm not ashamed to be your friend. You should get back to the tower. It's almost ten and, considering it's Sunday, Farley and Spiers will start their rounds soon. I overheard them complaining about it in the Common Room yesterday."

Hermione nodded quickly again and made sure she had all her books in her bag. "Oh right, I don't want to lose more points. I'd just gotten back twelve when Snape took ten from us on Friday."

"Tough." Draco rolled his eyes and they left the old classroom. Dimmed torches illuminated the halls and he bid Hermione goodnight after they made it to two, large staircases. One led up, towards the upper levels of the castle, and the other led directly to the dungeons.

She tried to return the scrap of fabric he'd conjured but he waved her off and sent her on her way.

"Oi! What're you doing out here, kid?"

Spiers had caught him by the collar.

Draco put on his best impatient face and looked up at the tall prefect that had snuck up on him.

"Peeves locked me in a closet after dinner. He just let me out a minute ago. I'd like to get back to my dormitory, _please."_ The sarcastic please wasn't necessary but Draco had to stretch his name's power when it came to the older students. They weren't above hazing the first years.

"Just get outta here, Malfoy."

He escaped the prefect's grasp and by the time he got back to his dorm, the others were sleeping, or pretending to be asleep, as Theo hadn't slept well since Blaise had put fake spiders in his bed as a prank one night.

Draco settled himself into bed and felt amazingly pleased by the turn of events. Perhaps he'd be able to befriend Potter after all. Father would be proud.


	14. Hermione7

A/N: I have a new poll on my profile, so if you like this story, you should vote! Thank you for your support!

This will not be a Ron bashing story. I love all the Weasleys! I'm sorry if it sounds like one but you have to remember that we're looking from two point of views. Draco, who obviously doesn't like Ron or any of the other Weasleys, and Hermione, who bickers with Ron all the time. If it was from someone like Harry's pov, it'd sound much different.

Please review and let me know how you feel about that.

Onto Hermione!

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Christmas was just around the corner, but Hermione didn't let herself get distracted by that like everyone else was doing. End-of-Term exams were approaching quickly. Ron was still ignoring her, and even though Harry tried his hardest to include her, he still had to go to Quidditch practice for hours on end.

Everyone was in a happy mood and gloves and mittens and house scarves were always being lost in the many impromptu snowball fights around the grounds. While the outdoor atmosphere was frigid, it couldn't compare to how cold and unwelcoming the Potions classroom was. Tucked deep underground, Snape's classroom offered just about as much warmth as the teacher. It was the last day of classes and Snape hadn't let up on them an inch. All the other teachers gave fun assignments or let them chat, but not Snape.

Hermione put a stopper on her phial and waited for Dean to do the same. Dean was very nice, once away from his best mate. Seamus almost _always _had detention, was a bit too crude for her tastes, and he never stopped talking. Dean was a lot like Seamus when they were together, but when separated, he was alright enough. He just doodled a lot. He didn't mess up her potions whenever they worked together.

The door to Snape's office swung open and he started to check their Forgetfulness Potions. She made sure Dean's half of the potion was done and looked over at Harry and Ron's. Their potion was supposed to be a light purple, like hers. Theirs was a bit too dark, and Snape was a perfectionist. She knew she should've helped them study more, but Ron had stopped listening to her halfway through. She huffed quietly. If he wanted to be a prat, then she didn't have to feel poorly when he got a Dreadful on the last assignment of the term. She caught Draco switching his phial with Daphne Greengrass'. The one he had given the other Slytherin was just a shade lighter than the one he had taken. Strange.

"Miss Granger, your potion."

Hermione jumped in her seat and nearly knocked over her seat.

"H-Here, sir."

He examined her potion quickly and flicked a piece of parchment at her when he left. She unraveled the scrap and smiled when a bright red 'O' appeared on it. Dean gave her two thumbs up and showed her his matching grade. It was always a victory when Snape gave a Gryffindor a good grade.

When Snape dismissed the class, many people cheered, as it was the final class of the year. Not even the biting cold of the dungeon could dampen the spirits of holiday hungry eleven year olds. Hermione's smile stayed put as she left with Harry and Ron. Before they could get very far, they ran into Hagrid, or rather the giant tree he was carrying.

"Hi, Hagrid. Want any help?" Ron tried to look around the tree, but all he could see of Hagrid were his feet.

"Nah, I'm alright, thanks, Ron."

Hermione watched the top of the tree sway and asked, "Are you sure, Hagri-"

"He said he's alright, _Hermione." _Ron snapped at her, effectively wiping the smile from her face. Harry thwacked him in the back of the head with a roll of parchment.

"Don't be mean to Hermione."

A loud, drawling voice startled them all. "Would you mind moving out of the way?"

Draco pushed past Hermione and Goyle and Crabbe did the same. Draco's eyes whispered hate and his sneer directed at Ron indicated he'd definitely heard him snap at Hermione. She tried to peer over Crabbe's shoulder, but could only see the boys' hair.

Not a moment later she heard Ron growl and, from the left of Goyle, she watched him lunge at Draco. Before she could do anything, Snape pushed past them all.

"WEASLEY!"

Hermione blanched. This wouldn't end well. Snape was Draco's _godfather._ Ron stood no chance.

Hagrid jumped to Ron's defense but Snape still took five points from Gryffindor. Draco gave her a covert glance and swaggered away with his friends while Harry picked up the needles on the ground.

Ron fumed, "I'll get him - One of these days, I'll get him."

"I hate Snape and Malfoy is such a git." Harry patted Ron on the shoulder.

Hermione 'humph'-ed loudly and crossed her arms. Draco was only standing up for her.

They followed Hagrid all the way to the Great Hall and Hermione couldn't help but look in awe at the fantastic decorations. The professors were decorating the trees using magic. Professor McGonagall was making beautiful, detailed ornaments as if it was child's play. Professor Flitwick made it never-melting snow appear in the corners of the room. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the large icicles that lined the windows and ceiling. Everything in the magical world was pushed to the extreme, it seemed.

"How many days have you got left till holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one. And that reminds me, Harry- _Ronald-, _we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library." Hermione tightened the straps of her heavy bag.

"Library? Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yah?" Hagrid laughed but the three children just looked at each other.

Harry shook his head at the tall groundskeeper, "Oh, we're not working. Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."

As Hagrid grew nervous, Hermione took the opportunity to memorize Professor Flitwick's technique as he conjured golden bubbles and spread them across the trees. Swish, swish, flick up, point. Swish, swish, flick up, point. Swish, swish, flick up, point.

"C'mon, Hermione." Harry tugged on her sleeve and she sent him a sheepish look.

"Yes, let's go. Maybe we'll find him today."

Their trip to the library proved just as unsuccessful as the previous fifty. Harry had almost let it slip to Madame Pince what they were looking for.

"You'll keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" Hermione picked at her sandwich with her fingers, tossing off bits of crust with each peck. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

Harry swallowed his food before he replied, "Of course."

Hermione chanced a glance at Ron, who had been staring at her strangely ever since they left the library.

"What?" She finally asked.

He absently scratched his cheek. "It's just- _your friend_ knows about Flamel, right? And I'm willing to bet he's got a library full of 'Restricted Section' books at home."

The tiny 'oh' that escaped her lips betrayed her surprise. _That _was a good idea.

"I'll ask him." Hermione cautiously smiled at the red head. Ron sent her back an apologetic shrug and tucked back into his lunch.

Ron wasn't all that bad, really. He was just very loyal and first impressions meant a lot to him. She shouldn't blame him for getting upset about Draco. He had quite a temper, she supposed, and she'd just have to get used to that.

-oOo-

The train ride home was quiet. Hermione and Neville sat in their own compartment and talked about what they'd be doing over the holiday. Neville told her about the party his grandmother threw every year and how awful it was because she always made him dance a song with her. Hermione told him about the Christmas party her parents' practice held every year. It was an awfully cheesy event, filled with Santa hats and fake elf ears. Hermione felt embarrassed just thinking about it.

Halfway back to the station, Neville remembered he was supposed to give Seamus and Dean invitations, else his grandmother have his hide when they got back. Hermione laughed as he left in a panic, rushing to find his friends. Not a minute after Neville left, the door to her compartment swung open. Draco hurriedly closed the door behind him and made sure the curtains were down. He stood across from her, with arms crossed and one raised brow.

"Were you planning on not saying goodbye?"

Hermione winced and dug through her bag. "No, no, you were never alone. I didn't think coming up to you and Goyle and Nott would be a good idea."

She pulled out two deluxe Sugar Quills and gave one to him.

"Who's your supplier?" He bit a piece off the quill.

"I asked George Weasley for a favor in return for not telling McGonagall about the paint bombs last month. He did some of my shopping on the last Hogsmeade trip." Hermione smiled while Draco nodded appreciatively. Manipulating via blackmail was such a _Slytherin _thing to do.

"Not long before Longbottom comes back. I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday."

"Wait, Draco, do you have a library at home?"

He nodded slowly.

"Do you think it has anything on Nicolas Flamel?"

He shrugged, "Probably. I could look. After Mother's party, I'll be bored out of my mind."

Hermione stood and gave him a quick hug, "Thanks, have a happy holiday, Draco. You'll owl me, won't you?"

He pulled himself out of her grasp and looked out the curtains to see if anyone was wandering about. Hermione watched him slip out the door slowly and he waved before it shut.

"Sure thing, Hermione."


	15. Draco8

Draco missed his mother deeply.

He knew it as soon as he stepped off the train and caught sight of her long, blonde hair swaying in the breeze. She only wore her hair down at home or at parties, or when she missed her son a lot. He wasn't surprised; they'd never been separated for so long in his entire _life. _He bid his friends goodbye and pushed through the crowds of parents to get to his own. Narcissa smiled down at her son and pulled him in for a long hug. Draco allowed it, if only because all his friends were at the other end of the platform and wouldn't be able to take the mickey.

"You've grown, Draco." Narcissa ruffled his hair softly and took hold of his hand. Mother's hands were always soft; nearly everything about Mother was soft when it came to him, and boy did he know it.

As the sole Malfoy heir, and resident Mama's Boy, Draco was showered with attention and, basically, anything he ever wanted. Draco appreciated it, sometimes, if he was in the mood and thought about it enough. His parents really loved him, even if Father didn't say it outright.

When he was three, he'd fallen out of his bed in the middle of the night and hit his head on his bedside table. He'd managed to hit the corner and split his forehead open. He cried and cried on the floor, blood streaming down his face and everywhere else, until Dobby and Bitty appeared. The elves immediately alerted his Masters of the state their son was in. It was the first time in Draco's memory that his parents had looked _afraid_. He didn't like seeing that.

His mother had screamed at the sight of her baby covered in his own blood and Lucius had picked up his son and ran as fast as he could to the upstairs Floo.

After a few hours at St. Mungo's, the Malfoy family returned to the Manor quite shaken from the entire ordeal. For the next month, Narcissa insisted Draco sleep in their bed with them and Lucius didn't argue. He even had Dobby put cushioning charms on all the furniture and the floors.

"Dobby." There was a snap and his father's house elf appeared in front of them.

"Mistress, young Master, is you be going home nows?"

"Yes, Dobby. Take us." Narcissa drawled, and she absently tucked Draco's sleeve back into his coat cuff.

Dobby, with eyes far too large for his head, nodded quickly and held onto her other hand.

"Ready, young Master?"

Draco nodded and braced himself. Apparating via elf was different from wizard apparating, or so Mother had said. Draco had never apparated with anyone before, so he wouldn't really know. He felt like something was squishing him for an uncomfortable moment and after the loud 'pop' in his ears sounded, he felt his feet touch ground again.

It was good to be home. The stone floors were familiar, as were the ancient paintings lining the halls and the enormous black fireplace. Draco felt happier than he had in a while. He told Dobby to take his stuff to his room and the elf disappeared.

"Bitty." Narcissa called for her own house elf. A tiny elf, with ears that could cover her whole face, appeared in front of her mistress and bowed. Her ears flopped to the front.

"Yes, Mistress? Is there anything you is needing? Or you, young Master?"

"Tea, and do make sure there's a treacle tart for Draco. He must be starving. Thank you, Bitty."

Draco followed his mother into her sitting room and he sat on the floor in front of a small table. Narcissa sat across from him and the smile she sent his way made him feel six years old again. Then again, she always made him feel much younger than he was.

"Tea, Mistress, young Master." Bitty laid out their settings as quickly as possible and left just as fast.

They sat in a comfortable daze as Narcissa told him all about how much she missed him. Draco was content to enjoy his mother's soft tones, eat his sweet, and just relax.

Being at school was tougher than he imagined it would be and he was definitely about to take advantage of his holiday- As soon as Mother's gala was over.

Every year, Mother insisted on a Christmas Gala at the Manor, invited every well standing Pureblooded family and Ministry higher up, and put on a damn good party that people talked about until spring. After spring, they just gossiped about what the next one would be like. Narcissa reveled in the positive attention, as she had taken it upon herself to better the Malfoy reputation after the war. With all the charity events and donation funds she was heading, she was doing a bang up job of it so far. The Gala was a major reason many people helped her with her charity work.

Mid-bite, Draco realized he had forgotten something very important.

"Mother, who am I taking the Gala?"

Every year, she forced him to drag around some unlucky girl around his age to the party. Mother could wax poetry about the importance of socializing with the right little girls but Draco still thought it was the worst idea ever. Girls were _weird_. They got far too excited for the Gala and liked to make him _dance_. Last year was the worst. Mother made him take little Astoria Greengrass. Daphne on a good day, he could handle, but Astoria was such a _baby. _She had gotten him in trouble all because he refused to play dolls with her.

"I was hoping you'd choose for yourself this year."

Death himself couldn't have spoken more fear inspiring words.

It was one thing to be forced to go to a party with a girl when girls were nothing but giggling twits his mother had chosen. It was another thing to _choose_ the giggling twit all by himself. Having options meant making choices and Draco wasn't sure he was ready for that. There were really only four options this year and his top option was already automatically disqualified because of her blood. It still made him a bit uncomfortable to think about her heritage. Hermione definitely would not have acted like a stupid girl, though.

That left Pansy or Daphne, and considering he'd just taken a Greengrass the previous year, he'd have to settle for Pansy. The last time they'd been tossed together was when they were eight.

"Pansy Parkinson?"

His mother nodded happily, "Oh that's perfect, Draco. I've been meaning to talk to her mother more often."

Draco brushed off crumbs from his robes and stood up. "Should I owl her now?"

"No, wait until Monday. The Parkinsons have gone to Italy for the weekend."

"May I go ride my broom?" It had been _ages _and Draco yearned to fly. It was exhilarating. As he slowly inched towards the door, Narcissa told him to be careful and warned him about being ready for his Father's arrival in two hours.

-oOo-

When he finally wrote his letter to Pansy, it was short and to the point. _You, me, Gala, see you then_. After he tossed that one aside, he wrote,

_'Granger,_

_ I hope your holiday is progressing far better than mine. I haven't gotten a chance to look in our library for Flamel because Mother's gone off her rocker about the Christmas Gala this year. It's tomorrow. She has Dobby and Bitty working day and night to get everything ready and even Father is having trouble keeping on her good side. I cannot wait for the entire production to be over. _

_ I made the mistake of saying that in front of Mother. Suffice to say I paid dearly for it. She took me to get new dress robes for the occasion that instant. It was awful._

_ The Gala will be filled with snooty brats like me and I'll be bored to tears. I'll try to sneak away and hide in the library if I can. After nine, Mother tends to be a little too happy and there's no way she'll notice I'm gone. _

_Happy Christmas, Granger. _

_Draco Malfoy _

_P.S. You've never mentioned owning an owl. You may send your reply with Helle.'_

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AN: Let me know if you want to see the Gala or not. Thanks for all the support! Coincidences hit 10,000 plus views and I'm thankful so many people want to read this! Please review! When this reaches 100 reviews, I'll do a question and answer video on my tumblr about this story. Feel free to either review with q and a questions or PM them to me. I'll make a list.


	16. Hermione8

__AN: Sorry about the wait, some emotional events happened over the past few days that kept me from working on this chapter. The Gala will be featured in next chapter, but not in the way most might think. Please review! I really need some happy reviews right about now...

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_'Draco,_

_ I'm sorry you are not having a fantastic holiday. Maybe after Christmas you'll have a better time. Party planning is stressful and I'm sure your mother doesn't mean to bore you. Try complimenting her tastes. It works with my mother. _

_Who are Dobby and Bitty? Those are odd names! _

_ I asked my parents if they had ever heard of a Nicolas Flamel, but as expected; they had no clue. I wasn't disappointed really. I hope you can find him later. Both Harry and Ron say they're familiar with the name but can't place where. Honestly, you boys are more alike than you'd ever care to admit. They sent me a letter that said they have been busy, but I bet they haven't even bothered looking. They're probably goofing off with the twins._

_ My holiday started off with a lot of questions. My parents wanted to know just about everything about this term. I didn't tell them about the troll or Fluffy. They'd never let me stay at Hogwarts if they knew! I can't go back to my other school. _

_ I've arranged for your Christmas present to be sent through owl post. I do hope you like it. You're awfully picky. _

_Happy Christmas, Draco._

_Hermione Granger_

_P.S. Your hawk, Helle, is frightening. And she bites. I don't think she likes me at all.'_

Hermione capped her fountain pen and placed it back in its case. She heard a loud squawk from the spare room next to her own. Yes, Helle definitely had a problem with her and her father, who'd been nipped on the nose when he got too close. The sooner she sent the bird off, the better.

She carefully crammed her letter into an envelope as she left her room and entered the spare bedroom. Helle was still perched at the windowsill where Hermione had left her. The bird was also still scratching the paint off the wood.

"Stop it, you evil bird!" Hermione tried to get her hands on one of the hawk's legs but Helle was too fast. The hawk plucked the envelope straight from Hermione's hand and flew off into the night before the girl could even gasp in shock. Hermione watched Draco's hawk fly until it disappeared from sight and even after she closed the window, she could still feel it _judging_ her. Maybe she would invest in her own owl.

"Hermione, guests are arriving! Come down here!" Her mother's excited call interrupted her inner list making of the pros and cons of owning an owl.

Her parent's Christmas Eve party would be filled with dentists from all over the country. She'd be forced to introduce herself to every single one and compliment the younger women on their too-short, red with white fur trim dresses. Halfway through, her mother would insist Hermione play one, two, ten Christmas songs on the grand piano. Near the end, when all the adults were either drunk off the holiday atmosphere or actually drunk, her father would tell her to put on an elf hat and sit with them as they told tales of biting children and new dental technology malfunctions. She always felt extremely uncomfortable at the party.

"Hermione!"

"Coming, Mum!" Hermione scurried back to her own room, tried to pat her hair down a bit, gave up, tried again, and gave up again, before she finally dragged her feet down the tinsel covered stairs. Her parents were there to meet her, along with a woman in a modest green dress.

"Dr. Golden, I don't think you've met our daughter, Hermione?"

And so it began.

-oOo-

By the end of the sixth rendition of Little Drummer Boy, Hermione had had enough. The elf hat was far too tight on her head and her fingers ached from playing so long. She looked around for any sign of her parents and nearly cried in relief when she didn't see them. She hopped off the piano bench and weaved through the adults that crowded the ground floor.

She ran up the stairs in her shiny black shoes and kicked them off as soon as the bedroom door closed behind her. Next, she tore the stupid, ill-fitting elf cap from her head and threw it in a heap in the corner of the room. Hermione swept through her evening routine in record time but she didn't feel at peace like she normally did when she climbed into bed.

It was difficult, being a Muggleborn witch, and she knew she was just beginning to discover why so many of the Muggleborns she had read about decided to stay in the magical world for life. Keeping her gift a secret was incredibly hard and she hadn't known it was going to be that much of a problem until the stupid party. Colleague after colleague of her parents asked her about her 'special' boarding school and she'd had to make up useless fact after fact about some nonexistent school. It hurt that she had to hide how special she really was.

All her life, she'd known she was special. While her parents had dismissed her early signs of magic, she had never allowed herself to forget them. More than once, she'd turned on her lamp with just a passing thought. She'd wished for an orange once and found herself up the tree in her backyard. She'd knocked over Jill's sandcastle when they were eight and it built itself back up on its own. Every toy she'd ever accidentally broken, fixed itself while she cried. Yes, Hermione had known she was magical, she'd just never known what to call it.

The magical world was addicting. The second she'd touched her wand from Ollivander's shop, she knew she'd never get enough of it. It felt right.

And tonight had shown Hermione why she loved Hogwarts so much.

She was able to be herself there, without the influence of her parents, without fear of being called a freak for her accidental magic. She had friends there, ones who wouldn't run away if she accidentally made a tree loose all its leaves. Draco and Harry and Ronald were the best friends she could have ever asked for. She really hoped they would like the presents she got them. A box of chocolate frogs for Harry, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans for Ronald, and a heavy chunk of Honeyduke's famous vanilla fudge for Draco.

She tossed and faced away from the window. Her hand reached down the side of her bed and pulled up a heavier quilt from underneath the bed. Feeling much better than she had before, Hermione drifted off to sleep with nothing but her friends on her mind.

She dreamt of Hogwarts.


	17. Draco9

AN: We're almost at 100 reviews! This is your last chance to submit questions for my Q&A video about this story. I will post it on this story's Tumblr (dhrcoincidences) and my main tumblr (oliverwooded). I know a bunch of you are reading this, so if you each took the time to review one quick question you want answered, it would make a good video and a lot of you would really enjoy it. So please ask questions!

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If he heard one more Celestina Warbeck song, he was going to snap. He'd suffered through almost four hours of social torture. The only redeeming part of the evening was that Pansy hadn't ask him to dance again after he stepped on her feet thirteen times during the first one. She ran off with Daphne and Millicent to the gardens as soon as it was over. Unfortunately, Narcissa had noticed before he could slip away. She introduced him to some of her new friends, dragged him through a quick dance, and had fixed his hair six times already. Draco scanned the room for his one hope of escape seven times, but his father kept disappearing from sight _just_ before Draco could get close enough to beg for assistance via eye contact.

He'd already tried to tell his mother that his friends were leaving and that he should spend time with them. She'd responded with a well spoken, most likely rehearsed, guilt trip about how he'd been gone for months with them and didn't spend enough time with his lonely mother. He watched Vincent and Gregory send him pity smirks as they left with their heavily intoxicated fathers and tipsy mothers. Draco couldn't believe his own mother hadn't had a drop to drink this year. He'd been counting on that for weeks.

Before he could sigh under his breath for the eighteenth time, a hand fell on his shoulder.

"Draco, do try to stop scowling."

_This_ was the hand of hope, Draco thought.

Lucius was a little late, but Draco would take it.

"I'm sorry, Father, I didn't realize." He nodded up at his father and his eyes screamed, '_help me.'_

"It's alright." Lucius took Narcissa's hand. "Don't stay up all night, Draco. We've got quite a busy day planned for tomorrow."

Draco knew a dismissal when he heard one. "Goodnight, Mother, Father. Happy Christmas."

Before he could start to walk away, his mother pulled him in for a quick kiss on the cheek and a brisk hug. His father mussed up his hair in the back a bit and then his parents disappeared, leaving him in a pleasant mood. Gestures of affection were common coming from Mother, but Father liked to save them for special occasions. It felt nice.

Draco treaded carefully through the thick crowd all the way to the library. There was no way he was going to bed early after having so many sweets. He slipped in, unnoticed by the partygoers, and locked the door behind him.

Rows and rows of books lined the walls. The higher books were off limits to him because of some… dubious origins, but everything else was free game. He walked all the way down to the 'F' section and stared all ten shelves in front of him. He pulled one out, looked at the cover, put it back, and shrugged.

Nope.

Not worth it.

"Dobby?"

The elf appeared, balancing three trays in his hands. "Yes, Young Master? You are needing Dobby?"

Draco watched the elf struggle for a moment and sighed. "Go finish whatever you were doing and then come back."

"Oh, thank you, Young Master!" Dobby popped away and returned not three seconds later.

"I need to find a book about a specific person. Could you help me?"

The elf nodded quickly, "Yes, sir, Dobby is have read all the books when cleaning time was. Dobby can find the book."

"I need a book about Nicolas Flamel."

Dobby put his tiny hand on his head in thought. He smiled suddenly and started climbing up a bookshelf. "Dobby is remembering four books on Nicolas Flamel."

Draco felt immensely pleased with himself for being so clever. Why look through a hundred books when you've got a house elf?

Dobby dropped three books on the table in front of Draco and looked devastated that he couldn't give Draco the fourth book in his arms.

"Master gave Dobby the strictest orders to not let the Young Master touch the books on the top shelf. Dobby is sorry!" The elf disappeared in shame before Draco could say a word.

Dobby could be _so_ dramatic. Draco preferred to call on Bitty most of the time, but during Mother's Gala, Bitty was strictly off limits. She'd go mad trying to keep everything in order _and _serve him. His attention shifted to the three, thick tomes in front of him.

As he flipped through the pages of '_Great Wizards throughout Time', _Draco imagined how thrilled Hermione was going to be with him once she found out he'd finally found Flamel. He smirked and found the name that had so escaped them all.

_'Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone…'_

-oOo-

Draco folded paper around the package tightly and made sure his letter was still behind the front cover before he sealed it. He couldn't believe it. There was an actual _Philosopher's Stone_ at Hogwarts being guarded by a three-headed dog named Fluffy and _Snape_ wanted it. At first, Draco had wondered why Snape wanted the Stone, but he then asked himself '_who wouldn't_?'.

Hermione was _definitely _going to be thrilled when she got a look at the book and his letter. Helle hadn't returned yet and Draco really didn't feel like finding his mother's owl. Flora always bit him.

"Dobby."

_Pop. _"Yes, Young Master?"

"I need you to deliver this package to my-" It occurred to Draco that _maybe_ having Dobby go to Hermione-the-Muggleborn's house wasn't too great of an idea. "Err… forget it, you can go."

Sending Dobby to Hermione ran the risk of Father finding out and Draco definitely didn't want _that_ to happen. He would just have to wait until Helle returned to inform Hermione of his amazing achievement. He left the library in a rush and made it to the east wing of the manor before anyone could stop and talk to him. He entered his room and threw the package on his desk.

He yawned tiredly. Avoiding social interaction really took its toll. His feet still hurt from when Pansy had decided to get back at him. At least he didn't have to deal with her again.

A practice snitch hummed in front of his face and he nabbed it from the air with ease. It was a very old snitch but he still liked to release it sometimes. As he fiddled with the dull gold ball, he pondered his discovery.

Nicolas Flamel and Dumbledore apparently thought Hogwarts was a great hiding spot for the Stone. Maybe it would have been, if they hadn't also placed a giant dog in the middle of the castle for 'no reason'. If Gringotts wasn't safe, what made them think Hogwarts was better? Gringotts had _dragons_ guarding the old family vaults. Surely a well off wizard like Nicolas Flamel could get one of those for his precious stone.

Draco let the snitch fly off again. What did he care if an ancient guy wanted hide his toys in a school? Really, as soon as he knew the reason why everyone was so tense, Draco lost a lot of interest in the mysterious trapdoor. He wasn't about to go look for the Stone or go anywhere near that bloody dog again.

Someone knocked at his door.

"Come in." He snatched the snitch again. It was Mother.

"Pansy would like to dance the last song with you."

Draco grimaced and sent his mother a pleading pout.

Narcissa laughed. "You can open a present once she leaves, instead of waiting until tomorrow."

He hopped off his bed. "I'll be right there."

So much for not dealing with Pansy again.


	18. Hermione9

Hermione read the letter three times before she chucked it off the bed and started to read the books Draco had sent with his evil hawk. He'd _actually_ found Flamel! She should have gotten him more fudge.

She hurriedly flipped the pages until the name she had searched for for weeks finally appeared. _Nicolas Flamel._ As she read about the famous wizard, she understood why Snape would risk his life to get under that trap door. A Philosopher's Stone was the treasure of the millennium. Nicholas Flamel had to be very worried, to have taken it out of Gringotts and given it to Dumbledore. If she had a stone that would give her eternal life, she'd want it locked away somewhere nobody would ever find it. Hogwarts would have been a great hiding place, with all its intricate architecture and disappearing classrooms, had Dumbledore not told the teachers about the stone. That was a terrible lapse in judgment by Professor Dumbledore, Hermione thought.

This was very bad. If Snape managed to get past Fluffy, who knows what he'd be able to do. First of all, the Flamels would lose their lives, and that was horrible in itself. Hermione read the paragraphs about the Stone over and over until she practically had them memorized. Oh, she just had to tell Harry and Ron! Hermione jumped off her bed to get some parchment but stopped abruptly. She didn't have an _owl _and Draco's diabolical bird had left as soon as it dropped the package at her doorstep_._ That certainly dampened her mood. She'd just have to wait until term started to tell them.

Over the rest of the holiday, Hermione read up on Nicolas Flamel in the books Draco had sent her. When she grew tired of reading the same information written by different authors, she put the books in her trunk and drew up timelines and charts of all the information she had collected. Her friends would be able to see just how important it was that Snape not get the Stone.

When her parents dropped her off at King's Cross Station, there were a lot of tears from her mother and extra tight hugs from her father and Hermione had a hard time stepping through the wall to the platform. Her parents always saved their clinginess for the last possible moment.

"Hermione!" Lavender called, waving at her from one of the windows on the train. "We want to know if you'd like us to save you a seat?"

Behind Lavender, Parvati and her twin waved.

That was a first. Normally, Lavender and Parvati acted like she didn't exist, and when she did, she only existed to help them with homework. Hermione didn't feel comfortable accepting their invitation and politely declined before she got on the train. To her surprise, Neville pulled her into a compartment and shut a curtain anxiously.

"Neville, what's wrong?" She put her bag down on a seat and helped him close the other curtain.

"Slytherins." He whispered and moved away from the door. Hermione furrowed her brow and peaked under the curtain she'd just closed. Sure enough, three Slytherin third years were making their way down the small hallway, looking into every open compartment.

"What happened?" She shut the curtain again and made sure the door was locked. Neville sure had a knack for trouble.

"I backed up on the platform and accidentally knocked into their trolley. They're looking for me."

Hermione made him sit down before she peeked out again. On the other side of the window, Adrian Pucey and his two friends were walking past. She watched them go all the way to the next car before she told Neville he was safe.

"Neville, you shouldn't let them scare you. If you show fear, they'll capitalize on it and never let you be."

"You don't have to tell me I'm not brave..."

For a moment, Hermione didn't know what to say. Neville _never_ snapped at _anyone_. Granted he hadn't really snapped as much as he'd dejectedly muttered, but Hermione knew he was very upset.

"Don't you dare doubt yourself!" She sat across from him and waved her arms as she spoke, "The Sorting Hat belonged to Godric Gryffindor _himself._ Of all things,don't you think it would know who belonged in his House? And if anyone is telling you different, well then, give them a good Jelly-Legs Jinx and walk away because they're not worth much more of your time than that."

Neville was struck by her words and Hermione couldn't help but smile when he nodded resolutely and he said, "You're right, Hermione. I'll show them next time."

"Yes, you will, Neville. Now, how was your Christmas?"

After Neville told her the story of how his gran and his great uncle nearly got him lost in the Floo system, Hermione told him about her parents awful party. She didn't mention Nicolas Flamel.

When they _finally _reached the castle, Hermione was shaking with excitement. She bid Neville a quick goodbye and practically ran all the way to Gryffindor Tower. Once in the common room, she found Harry and Ron playing chess in a corner.

"Hi, Hermione, how was your holiday?" Harry made room for her to sit down but she was far too jumpy to do so.

"It's a Philosopher's Stone. That's what's under the trap door." She whispered excitedly. Ron and Harry looked at each other.

After a long moment of silence, Ron asked, "A what?"

She explained about Nicolas Flamel and the Stone and shared her theories as to why Snape was after it. Ron and Harry were particularly interested when she talked about the Stone's magical properties and they went off on a tangent about the things they would do if they had the Stone. She couldn't wipe the grin off her face as they caught up on all that had happened over the holiday. The boys didn't want to admit it, but Hermione could tell that they were impressed that Draco had found Flamel. That was good. She hoped her friends would be less harsh on him now.

"What would you do, Hermione?"

"Huh?" She had only half heard Harry's question.

"If you could live forever, like Flamel?"

She had given that quite a bit of thought over the break.

"I'd want to write books and teach. Could you imagine all the things someone immortal could teach you?"

"Of course she'd pick something school related." Ron rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Hermione, there's got to be something _else_ you'd want to do."

"Well," she drawled, "I might want to travel. You could see the entire world if you had forever to do it."

Harry nodded, "That sounds fun. I've never really been travelling before. The Dursley's don't like to travel much. Especially Dudley, even if it's just down the stairs."

They all laughed.

Ron and Harry went back to their game of chess and Hermione tried to help Harry.

They still lost miserably.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the wait, Fanficiton was being very mean to me when I tried to upload this chapter. Don't worry, Draco and Hermione will be reunited next chapter! Please review with Q&A questions (ex. questions about post-first year, possible sequels, missing moments)!


	19. Draco10

Life was being very kind to Draco Malfoy and he knew it. Finding out about Flamel was just the start. Hermione had been oh so pleased with him, and she didn't give him dirty looks when he _accidentally_ tripped Finnigan six or seven times. They'd spent a lot of time in the library looking up more things about the Stone and Flamel and then getting ahead of their regular coursework. At the rate they were going, they'd definitely be top of the class.

That still bothered him. Hermione was beating him in academics, and though he couldn't deny that without her he'd be even further behind, he was pretty sure Father wouldn't like to know a Mud- Muggleborn was _still _outdoing his healthy, outstanding, spectacular, handsome Pureblooded son. He'd have to pass all his exams with perfect scores to have a chance of edging her at the end. He'd have to _study._

The next Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was about to take place and he'd heard that Professor Snape was refereeing, which was glorious news for Slytherin. Surely Hufflepuff would win. Snape hated Potter and Gryffindor and if they lost, it meant Slytherin would keep the lead in the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. There was no way Gryffindor would be able to come back after that loss.

"Hey, Malfoy! You ready to go? We're all going early to get good spots to distract Potter." Theo's loud voice echoed in the hall.

Draco snorted. "Yeah, I'm coming."

-oOo-

When Draco, Theo, Blaise, Greg, and Vince piled into the stands, Draco was pleasantly surprised to find Hermione and Weasley sitting right in front of him. He _accidentally _hit Weasley with his elbow as he sat down.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." He grinned and found that Crabbe and Goyle were trying to hold in giggles. Theo noticed and leaned over with a smirk.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Wanna bet? C'mon Weasley, you know you want to."

Luckily for Theo, Hermione was more focused on the match than his words to her friend. Weasley turned around in a huff and watched as Snape awarded Hufflepuff a penalty. Hermione's attention was on Harry and Snape, it seemed as though she'd forgotten about the hundreds of people in the stands. Draco laughed with his friends.

Blaise decided to get in on the teasing, "You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?"

Draco froze. _Uh-oh_. Those were fighting words, coming from Blaise.

"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money—you should be on the team Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Draco watched Neville turn bright red and face Blaise.

"You'd better stop picking on me!"

Blaise sneered at the Gryffindor. "Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer that Weasley, and that's saying something."

"Ron, look!"

Everyone looked out at the field and gasped when they saw Harry going into a spectacular dive towards the ground.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's spotter some money on the ground!"

That did it. Weasley hopped out of his seat and lunged across three seats to get to Theo. Draco held back Crabbe and Goyle and watched Longbottom join in. He looked at Hermione, who had jumped on her seat and started screaming at the field, and knew he wouldn't get any help from her. Theo and Blaise were thoroughly holding their own against Weasley and Longbottom, and they rolled under the stands.

"Malf-" Goyle started to move towards the fight but Draco held his arm out and plastered a sneer on his face.

"Let them sort it out on their own, you _know_ Theo wouldn't like you two butting in. He'd complain about it for _ages._"

"You're right…" They answered, but they didn't seem so sure. He winced when Theo received a solid punch to the face from Weasley. Maybe he should interfere… Draco quickly yanked the red head off his friend and struggled to balance on the stands. He fell backwards and Weasley, still in a rage, punched him right in the eye. Draco growled and returned the favor with a nice, solid hit to the taller boy's nose. Ron pulled away and held onto his nose and Draco used the opportunity to get Hermione's attention.

"_Granger_! Control your pets!"

She didn't even turn around. She was too busy yelling and hugging a Patil sister.

It turned out he didn't need Hermione to get Weasley and Longbottom away. Harry Potter had just snatched the snitch, putting Gryffindor ahead of Slytherin for both Cups.

The seats shook with the force of practically every Gryffindor's riotous cheering. Draco tenderly touched his eye and flinched. He looked from Blaise's fat lip to Theo's purple nose and then down at Longbottom lying on one of the seats in a daze and felt it was definitely time to slip away. He took one of Theo's arms and dragged him all the way to the Hospital Wing. Crabbe and Goyle helped Blaise follow behind. The entire way, Theo ranted about how he'd get that 'poor buffoon' back somehow.

-oOo-

A few days after the Quidditch match that sent Marcus Flint on a mad hunt to find a new Seeker, Draco met Hermione in an empty classroom after dinner. Professor Sinistra had given them an awfully boring project to complete over the week and well, Draco had better things to do with his time, like play Exploding Snap and Guess The Bean with his friends until four a.m. Sunday morning. Monday and Tuesday had been awfully busy and he hadn't even touched his assignment that was due at midnight. Luckily, his best friend was Hermione Granger.

"I'm not doing your project for you."

But she did help, sort of, when he couldn't get the sizes right for Jupiter's moons. He'd accidentally switched Io and Europa and he didn't really know why stupid Jupiter had to have so many bloody moons with so many different features. Earth had a good thing going with it's lone moon. Blaise had gotten Earth. Lucky sod.

While he worked on his project, Hermione told him all about what had transpired after the match. He absently told himself to remember to tell Theo about Weasley boasting about beating up some Slytherins. Friend of Hermione's or not, Draco could not allow such blaspheme to float about the castle unpunished. He had told his parents about a slight scuffle, one of which he _had no part in_, and he received two separate replies. Mother had warned him to stay out of trouble and asked if he had received her latest care package of biscuits. Father had been pleased that he'd opted out of fighting. It was not becoming of a Malfoy to sully his hands with the blood of those below them. He knew his father didn't like the Weasley's because they were blood traitors.

He stopped mid-spell and the ice on Europa turned to water. Hermione looked up from her tower of cards and hurried to help him clean up.

"Be more careful next time. You almost extinguished Io." She laughed and he smiled quickly in thanks before he went back to Europa. As soon as she went back to her card tower, his smile melted just as quickly as the ice had.

_Blood traitor._

A Malfoy befriending a Muggleborn was unheard of, mostly because they were always disowned and stricken from the family records as soon as they came public. But Draco wasn't a blood traitor! He was just- just making sure he'd stay ahead of everyone else. He wasn't about to settle for less than top spot. His friendship with Hermione would have to end after they left Hogwarts. He'd never be a terrible blood traitor like his mother's sister Andromeda. He looked at Hermione again; she was collapsing her pretty impressive tower back into a neat deck of cards.

Premature guilt ate at him. Hermione wasn't a bad person, not at all. In fact, she was the antithesis of a bad person, and he respected that, even if it was a little annoying at times. She didn't really deserve to be ditched.

As he tossed Thebe onto his project, Draco decided that he'd face that hurdle when the time was right and not a moment sooner.

* * *

AN: Let me leave you with some statistics. _**Less than**_ _**one percent of viewers** _reviewed last chapter. Sad author is sad.

Reviews give me more confidence in my work and the more confidence I have, the quicker chapters are born.

Also, there is a new poll on my profile for something you might like.


	20. Hermione10

Hermione wasn't too happy with her friends. Harry and Ron seemed to think exams were still too far away to start studying for but in reality they were right around the corner. Draco had had the same mentality as the other boys and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if all boys her age were so irresponsible- or if she had just drawn the short straw in that respect. Despite their complaints about her nagging, she kept reminding them to study and review their notes. After about a week, Draco finally gave in and started to study for their exams.

It was very nice to see that someone was taking her advice. He'd even started to color code his notes like she showed him.

During a crisp April 1st evening, Hermione and Draco practiced _Wingardium Leviosa _on all the furniture in a large empty classroom. It soon became a game of who could create the best fortress out of the chairs scattered around the room. Hermione's fort was very sturdy, but only large enough for one person to fit inside. Draco's had been a little unstable, but it took up almost half the room.

After deciding that they'd tied (after they sabotaged each other), they put the chairs back into place.

"What did you think of that performance in the Great Hall at dinner?" She asked with a laugh. Draco rolled his eyes at her and put another chair back onto the ground.

"It wasn't loud enough; I couldn't quite hear them." He commented sarcastically.

The Weasley twins had celebrated their birthday in style. Wearing crowns of candy, they swept through the hall on their broomsticks and, with their voices magically amplified, sang an off key rendition of 'Happy Birthday' for themselves. Most people, including the Headmaster, found it very amusing and applauded the two. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, had given the twins a staring down that could rival their mothers, or so they said.

"It was really nice of Professor McGonagall to not give them detention."

"She should have." Draco scoffed.

"Why?" Getting detention on your birthday had to be awful, Hermione thought. Getting detention in the first place must be terrible. Hermione never wanted to get detention, but with all the snooping around they'd all been doing, she knew it would happen sooner or later. Being friends with Harry and Ron seemed like a one-way ticket to detention, really.

He frowned. "Because _now_ they'll think they'll be able to get away with something bigger next year."

Hermione laughed. That was definitely true. "They're throwing a party in the common room at nine. Ron said they took a bunch of treats from the kitchens and they had the Quidditch team decorate."

Draco stopped pushing in chairs. "And McGonagall is going to _allow_ that?"

Hermione nodded. "She might not play favorites in class, but we all know she adores the twins. No one is really sure why."

"Professor Snape would _never_ let us throw a party in the common room, unless it was for winning the House Cup. Montague said he even stayed up with them last year."

Hermione tried to imagine Snape standing in the center of a raging common room party. She couldn't quite see it.

"Are there pictures?" She asked.

Draco raised a blonde brow at her.

"Nevermind." She peeped quickly, and she finished tucking the rest of the chairs back in order.

"Are you being weird again?"

She didn't dare look Draco in the eye lest he laugh at her.

There were two solid knocks at the large wooden door, followed by three smaller knocks. Hermione and Draco stared each other down until Draco rolled his eyes and crouched behind one of the desks.

Hermione opened the door slowly and peered out at Harry and Ron.

"You can get up, Draco." Hermione called. He stood up with a bland look on his face. Hermione saw Harry nod at her best friend and was pleased when Draco nodded back. They'd been almost civil to each other over the last few weeks and it was much more than she could have ever hoped for.

"You ready to go, Hermione? Fred and George say they've got a big surprise planned and I don't want to miss it." Ron paused in the doorwayy, and Hermione noticed just how anxious he was to leave. "Plus, Percy's trying to stop it before it happens. The twins asked us to distract him but you weren't there."

"What'd you tell them?"

Harry spoke up with a smile. "That we had to go drag you out of the library first."

Hermione packed up her Charms notes and swung her bag over her shoulder.

Before she turned to leave, she asked Draco to meet her in the same classroom tomorrow around the same time. They'd go over some Transfiguration theory. Draco agreed to be there, but reminded her that he'd have to leave earlier because he had plans. Hermione had gathered that since the start of the new term, Prefects subjected the Slytherin First Years to inspections every Thursday evening. Something about an annoying tradition that Professor Snape felt needed to be stopped before it escalated. Draco had told her about Blaise Zabini declaring an all out prank war on Theodore Nott, who in turn received sympathy from Daphne Greengrass, who convinced some of the other Slytherin girls to help Theodore. The other half of the girls took Blaise's side and it had all gone downhill from there.

By the time the trio arrived back to the Gryffindor common room, Fred and George were gathering everyone in the common room. When the clock struck nine, a giant magical banner fell from the tall ceiling. On the bright orange fabric, very realistic drawings of the twins' faces winked every few seconds.

It turned out that McGonagall's leniency only lasted two hours. At precisely eleven o' clock, she sent everyone except for the first years up to their beds, saying how ashamed they should be for partying on a school night. She wished the remaining first years a good Astronomy lesson and retired to bed herself.

Lavender and Parvati seemed quite put out, sitting on a cushy couch hashing out all the little details of the party that'd just ended all by themselves instead of in the group. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean sat in a circle on the floor and chatted until it was time to head up to the Astronomy tower.

-oOo-

Studying had become routine over the last few weeks. Hermione could always be found in the library, and when someone couldn't find her, she was still in the library, just with Draco in their hidden spot.

On a crisp April afternoon, Hermione looked up from her Herbology book and a tiny 'oh' escaped her.

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Ron asked, being entirely too loud within a library.

"Jus' lookin'… What're you lot up ter?" Hagrid turned a wary black eye to Harry, who looked awfully guilty.

"Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

Ron laughed, "Oh, we found out who he is ages ago- _And_ we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St-"

Hermione smothered a giggle when Hagrid panicked and shushed Ron before he could finish.

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of face, about what's guarding the Stone _apart_ from Fluffy-"

She had to put a hand over her mouth to stop the laugh that threatened to escape when Hagrid told Harry to come over later instead of talking about it out in the open. Hermione would admit that maybe the library was too public a place to be discussing something so important. As Hagrid shuffled away, Hermione caught sight of a large book in his hands and she tilted her head in thought.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" She asked. Harry's eye lit up with interest.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

In the end, it'd been dragons.

Hagrid had a _dragon egg_ in his _wooden house._

Hermione worried all the way back to the tower.

* * *

AN: Thank you for all the kind reviews last chapter, that was the most ever! It really made me want to finish this chapter sooner for all of you waiting!


	21. Draco11

Draco was in deep trouble when it came to Hermione. It didn't matter that he'd been her first friend. It didn't matter that he was her best friend. It didn't matter that he was only thinking about her safety, and partially about what it would do to her record. _Nothing_ was going to help him now that he'd gotten her _detention. _Granted he also got detention, but he'd been trying to do something _noble _for once in his life and it'd backfired. Hermione shouldn't have been messing around with _dragons. _She was only twelve! She probably felt sorry for it because it was still young.

Draco knew what dragons were really like. His great uncle on his father's side had had a penchant for dragons. It hadn't ended well. So when Hermione told Draco about the plan to take Norbert away, he argued with her about it until it was past curfew and they were both blue in the face. Potter and Weasley had gotten worried when Hermione didn't come back on time. They'd whisked her away just as he was about to reach his final point, which was blackmail, the most important point of them all.

He hadn't gotten a chance to be alone with Hermione after that. Daphne and Tracey had had a panic attack over the upcoming exams and a few the older students were coerced into taking the youngest Slytherins under their wings. Gemma Farley had written up a study schedule for each of the First Years and was enforcing it with an iron fist.

Draco probably would have let the whole dragon thing go, if he hadn't found out about Weasley ending up in the hospital wing from a 'dog bite'. He'd gone straight there and by a stroke of luck, he'd gotten the time and place of the exchange.

And then, when he'd tried to stop them before they could get in big trouble, McGonagall had caught him. He'd lost _twenty points._ He could have become a pariah in his house, had Filch not been sent to check up on his claim. Filch had dragged Potter and Hermione all the way to McGonagall, and Gryffindor lost _one hundred and fifty points_ that night. No one in his house minded the meager twenty after _that. _Once it got out that he'd had a hand in Gryffindor's biggest loss in ages, many people in his house clapped him on the back and made sure no older, angry Gryffindor came too close. Blaise had even congratulated him on a trick well played. But Draco hadn't been trying to play any tricks on anyone.

Hermione wouldn't believe him.

It was strange, not having her on his side.

The last two weeks of May, he'd watched her avoiding him at every turn. She was keeping attention off herself in class. She'd even made sure to be in plain sight whenever she was in the library, cramming for the upcoming exams.

But tonight, she couldn't avoid him.

They had detention.

He impatiently tapped his foot against the stone floor and watched the staircases for any signs of movement. He was regretting getting there early, as his only company for the past five minutes was Filch and his demon cat. Finally, he spotted Hermione, Potter, and Longbottom dragging their feet into the entrance hall. He glared at Hermione and she stared right back.

"Follow me," Filch lit his lamp and started walking outside, "I bed you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh? Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me…" The old sod went on about old punishments and Draco tuned him out. He kept his eyes on the path in front of him and, occasionally, lifted his gaze to see if Hermione stopped kicking tiny pebbles at his shoes. She didn't stop.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Draco's heart sunk. What an awful punishment; having to help the stupid oaf that had gotten them all into trouble in the first place with his bloody dragon. He looked over at Potter and saw the boy sigh in relief. Filch saw it too.

" I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well think again, boy- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Draco stopped walking immediately.

"The _forest?"_ His voice lost it's usual coolness and he shook his head, "We can't go in there at night- there's all sorts of things in there- werewolves, I heard."

The old man just smirked, "That's your problem, isn't it? Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Draco glared fiercely. Father would definitely be hearing _all_ about this.

After Filch left with his ugly cat, Draco crossed his arms and looked up at the tall man who was in charge of them.

"I'm not going in that forest."

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts. Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay for it."

Draco bristled, "But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. It's _dangerous. _I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

"Tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts! Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

He didn't move.

"Right then, now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here for a moment."

When the gamekeeper took them to look at the unicorn blood, Draco stood next to Hermione and stepped on her foot, completely on purpose. She shoved him lightly and glared. The moment Hagrid told them they would have to separate into two parties, Draco stopped sneering and smirked.

"I want Granger."

Longbottom and Hagrid seemed confused while Potter shrugged.

"Alright then, me, Harry, an' Neville'll go one way an' Draco, Hermione an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if anyone finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right?"

The three First Years practiced firing off green and red sparks before they split up into the forest. Hermione made sure Fang was between her and Draco.

"This isn't my fault." Draco pointed out quietly, "I was trying to stop you from doing something stupid."

"That isn't your job, _Malfoy_."

He rolled his eyes, "As your friend, I feel inclined to inform you that _yes,_ it is. And I would have, had McGonagall not found me waiting. I got _detention _because of you."

"Oh, boo hoo, how _terrible_." Hermione bit out, "We were only trying to make sure Hagrid didn't get in trouble, or worse, hurt. Everyone hates us now."

"They'll forget about it eventually."

"Not likely." She grumbled.

"The sooner you get over it, the sooner they will. Are you really not going t-"

There was a loud rustling noise behind them. They froze and looked at each other. Draco held his wand tighter in his hand.

Draco slowly turned around and pointed his wand at a bush. "Look."

The leaves on the bush shined with wet unicorn blood. Hermione whimpered.

"I hope we find it soon," she mumbled, all the fire in her voice gone. Her eyes shifted to Fang, who had decided to lie down in the middle of the path. "C'mon, Fang."

The great dog stretched and got up slowly.

"Let's go this way." Draco stuffed his wand back in his pocket and tried to still his shaking hands. The forest was no place for children. They walked on in silence for a while until another rustling sounded behind them. This time, Hermione shrieked and sent red sparks up almost immediately. The rustling got further away, but Draco still moved closer to Hermione, just in case.

-oOo-

Draco returned to the dungeons completely knackered, but forgiven. After Hagrid found them, the two groups met again and split differently. He asked Hermione to stay with Hagrid and Harry agreed to switch places with her. Draco and Harry had actually had a civil conversation running until they found the unicorn. And the thing that'd killed it.

Draco shivered in his bed. Thinking about it made him nauseous.

On the way back to the castle, Hermione had wedged herself between himself and Harry. She quietly apologized for blaming him for Filch's appearance that night and he had accepted quickly, before she could even think about changing her mind.

When he entered his dormitory, the other boys were asleep, and he was only slightly disappointed that he had no one to talk to about the mysterious creature in the forest.

He didn't know as much as Harry had seemed to know, but he did know one thing. It didn't belong there.

* * *

AN: We're almost done with first year? What? What's going to happen to the Stone?

Big decision announcement: I've decided to continue this story past first year. **_There will be a timeskip._**Tell me what you think of _that_ in your review.


	22. Hermione11

Hermione put down her quill. She was finished. It was over.

She looked around at her classmates and sighed quietly in relief. She wasn't the last one finished, but she certainly wasn't the first. Hermione rolled up her parchment and sealed it. Her last exam of first year had been much easier than she had expected. It might have been the intense amount of studying she'd done. She just hoped it would be enough.

As she waited for Professor Binns to call time, she thought about her first few weeks at Hogwarts. It made her smile to think about how far she'd come since then. She had been alone in a completely new place, surrounded by people oh so like her other peers. And then she manipulated her way into the best friendship she'd ever had.

Pulling Draco into her life had offered her stability in the midst of change. What had started out as a means of getting ahead in this strange, new world had quickly become so vital to her that she couldn't imagine what she'd have done without it. When she took away all the things she'd initially wanted out of the boy, all the benefits his name could bring her in the far future, she still saw someone she wanted to be around, someone she wanted as her best friend. She'd seen sides of Draco few people had ever had the privilege to see and she'd given him glimpses of just how the real Hermione acted. She counted herself lucky. Lucky, that he hadn't abandoned her when he found out about her heritage, despite all the things he'd been told about her kind. He counted her as an exception to a rule. She had initially been offended when he told her so, but as she got to know him better, she knew it was a very high compliment, coming from him. Lucky, that he'd found her important enough to enter a girls bathroom for. It felt as though years had passed since the incident on Halloween, but Hermione was still quite grateful. Lucky, that she had someone so constant in a year filled with so many twists and turns.

"Put your quills down and roll up your parchment. The examination period is over."

Hermione turn around in her seat and smiled brightly at Harry and Ron. Ron was still writing on the very end of his parchment and hurriedly slapped his quill down on the table before he rolled up his essay and threw it as far away from his body as possible, without it falling off the table. Harry had just sealed his own essay and placed it on the edge of the table happily.

Most of their year cheered when they were able to leave and even Hermione laughed all the way out to the grounds. They found a nice spot under a shady tree by the lake to settle under for a while to enjoy their newfound freedom.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be. I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager." She pointed out, as she looked over the lake. The twins and Lee Jordan were playing with the Giant Squid. They made it look so _normal. _

"The what?" Ron asked from his spot in the cool grass, but he hastily stopped her from answering, "Nevermind. No more studying."

Harry rubbed at his forehead and grimaced.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked quickly.

"I wish I knew what this means!" He growled. Hermione jumped slightly at his angry tone. "My scar keeps hurting- it's happened before, but never as often as this."

Hermione's brow creased with worry, "Go to Madam Pomfrey."

"I'm not ill… I think it's a warning.. it means danger's coming."

Ron plucked some grass out of the ground and threw it at Harry. "Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Harry was silent for a few moments and just as Hermione was going to tell Ron to look at his older brothers, as they'd started to dance with the Squid's tentacles, Harry jumped up to his feet.

"Where're you going?" Ron asked and he groggily sat up.

"I've just thought of something. We've got to go see Hagrid, now."

It was the panic in his voice that had Hermione up and running behind him before Ron could even get off the ground. She took large gasps of air and put her hands on her knees when they finally reached Hagrid's house. She finally heard what Harry was so upset about when she stopped coughing.

"What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno, he wouldn't take his cloak off. It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Oh no. Hermione put two and two together. This was bad, very bad. After a few more questions, the trio ran off back towards the castle. Hermione thought she saw Draco breaking off from his friends out on the grounds, but she was running far too fast to be sure.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore. Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak- it must've been easy, once he got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

Hermione blinked. She really didn't know. She looked at Harry and Ron and neither did they.

"We'll just have to-"

"What are you four doing inside?"

_Four?_ Hermione spun around and found Draco standing right behind them. She turned back to McGonagall bravely.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore."

"See Professor Dumbledore? Why?" McGonagall's curious stare made her nervous.

"It's sort of secret," Harry said.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"He's gone? _Now?"_ Harry was panicking again. He started to get upset as he spoke to McGonagall and let it slip about the Stone. McGonagall's books clattered to the ground. While she picked them up, she assured them all that the Stone was well protected and practically ordered them all to go back outside and enjoy their day.

They didn't. Hermione stood back so that Draco could join their little huddle. He shook his head quickly.

"Let's go, Snape's coming this way."

Before Snape could close in on them, they escaped up a few staircases and into their favored empty classroom.

"What's going on?" Draco asked bluntly.

"It's tonight," Harry started, "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."

"What can we do?" Hermione shifted her weight from foot to foot anxiously. She didn't really like the look in Harry's eye at her words.

"Alright, one of us has got to keep an eye on Snape- wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermio-"

Draco interrupted Harry with a quick- "I can do that."

Hermione let the shock show on her face. Was he really _volunteering_ to spy on his Head of House?

"He wouldn't think anything of it if he came out and found me there. I'll ask him about our exams. He won't suspect a thing."

He _was._

"Are you sure, Draco?" She had to make sure. He knew just how important the Stone was.

"Yes."

Harry nodded his approval, "Okay, Draco will distract Snape while we go to the third floor."

With their plans in motion, the four First Years split up.

And Hermione had a bad feeling about it all.

* * *

AN: Another quick update for you all! I wonder what will happen next ;)

p.s. you'll probably get another fast update if this reaches 150 reviews tonight ;))


	23. Draco12

He should have never volunteered to help. He made a mental note never to be so stupid as to _ever_ do it again.

After Snape had left him with a quick, almost harsh dismissal, he'd had to wait to find Hermione and her friends to tell them his part of the plan was moot. It was pure luck that he'd caught up to them on their way up to Gryffindor Tower. And then Potter had an exceptionally idiotic idea to go get the Stone himself, before Snape had the chance. And _of course,_ Potter's loyal friends agreed to help and Hermione had looked right at him when she asked if he'd still help. He couldn't say no. The Stone was far too important to be left in the protection of some knuckleheaded Gryffindors. Therefore, he'd agreed to meet them on the third floor after curfew.

He had been hiding behind a tapestry for almost fifteen minutes when he heard the sound of a long cloak sweeping across the stone floor. That had to be Snape. Hermione would have remembered to grab him. He didn't breathe again until he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Potter was late. Draco wasn't sure what to do. If he went after Snape alone, he wouldn't be able to charm his way out of trouble. If he left and went back to bed, he'd be in the clear and.. and…

You-Know-Who would come back. A horrible feeling settled in his bones. You-Know-Who had killed so many, done so much damage. He'd nearly gotten his father put in Azkaban. Mother still cringed at the mere mention of the old days. Draco sharply pulled his wand out of his sleeve. That settled it.

He'd just begun to pull the tapestry back when Peeve's high voice filled the corridor.

"Who's there? Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you a ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

Draco blanched. There was _no way_ Peeves had caught him. He never made a sound!

A hoarse whisper answered Peeves, "Peeves, the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Oh, Potter was _good_. After Peeves flew off, the tapestry he was hiding behind moved forward and Hermione pulled him under a cloak.

"You're too late, Snape's already inside." He whispered as they shuffled to the door together. Just as he said, the door was slightly ajar and he could see a discarded harp on the ground inside.

Harry turned to the other three and nodded slowly, "If you want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't be stupid."

"We're coming." Hermione said.

"We've all got a stake in this, Potter." Draco agreed, and they tiptoed as a unit into the room. Harry played the crude flute he'd pulled out of his pocket and the dog fell asleep almost instantly. Draco wondered for a moment if the dog was really the only defense the Stone had, because if it was, they were already too late.

"Keep playing…" Weasley whispered, and as soon as they slipped out form under the cloak, they rushed to the trapdoor. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open. Want to go first, Hermione?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, I don't!"

Weasley crept over the dog's legs and pulled up the door. Draco stepped over the dog's legs next and helped Hermione avoid kicking it on the way over. Potter came next. He made some strange gestures and Hermione took over playing the flute.

"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

"Right," said Ron, and Harry let himself fall through the trapdoor. The only sounds they made came from Hermione, who was still playing a made up tune on the flute.

Finally, Potter called out, "It's okay! It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Weasley jumped next, leaving Draco and Hermione with the dog. Draco grabbed ahold of Hermione's sleeve and nodded to the hole. She played a few more hurried notes before she tossed the flute away.

"Jump." They said together and they fell down, down, down, until they landed on some squishy thing. Before he could move, something slithered across his wrist. He looked at his wand hand and whatever had slipped over his wrist tightened painfully.

"Hermione, get up now!" He shoved her away from him and in the darkness, he could just make out twisting vines wrapping around his legs. The other boys made similar cries of panic from his other side.

"Get it off!" Weasley moaned.

Draco winced as the vines tightened around his legs and arm. "It's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help!"

Hermione had gotten away from the plant and was pressed against the wall. "Shut up! I'm trying to remember how to kill it!"

Draco tried to remember how to kill it too, but it was a bit hard to think straight when a plant was trying to strangle you.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… what did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and damp-"

"Fire, Hermione!" Draco gasped.

"Yes! Of course- but there's no wood!"

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

It was the first time Draco could really agree with Ron Weasley. Hermione conjured bright blue flames that spread across the plant. Draco felt the vines begin to loosen around him and he was able to break through and free himself. He held out his hand to Weasley, who was gasping beside him. The redhead stalled for a moment and then accepted his offer of assistance. They joined Hermione by the wall.

"Really, Hermione, it's like your big brain goes on holiday when you panic." Draco muttered.

Potter led them down a stone passageway and as they walked, Draco noticed it was going deeper and deeper underground.

The chamber they entered was brightly lit and there were sparkling birds _everywhere. _They made strange noises as they flew around. And Draco thought the peacocks at the manor were annoying.

"They're not bird! They're keys! Winged keys… Look! Broomsticks.."

Draco looked from the door to the winged keys. That was going to be impossible. Still he took up a broomstick and kicked off into the air. Every key he grabbed out of the air was either too big or too small for the old lock on the door. Potter pointed out the right key after a few minutes.

"That one! That big one—there—no there—with bright blue wings!"

Draco watched Weasley try to get it, but the boy nearly fell of his broom trying to catch it.

Draco examined the flying key. It flew slowly, dropped out of the air a few feet every so often, and spun in circles at times. It reminded him of the old practice snitch he had in his room at home. Taking a big risk, he flew underneath the key and waited. He was so focused on the key that he didn't notice just how close to the ceiling he was. When his fingers wrapped around the injured key, his broomstick jerked and his unbalanced body was thrown off. Draco took the fall like a champ, but sadly, his right leg did not. He howled in pain each time he tried to straighten it out.

"Draco!" Hermione reached him first and gasped at the sight of his oddly bent leg. He cursed in pain and handed her the key.

There was no way he'd be able to help them anymore. The other two boys dropped their broomsticks and ran over to see the damage.

"Go!" Draco moaned, "You're wasting time!"

Hermione bristled, "We can't just _leave_ you-"

"Yes, you can! Now, go get the Stone!"

* * *

AN: Thank you for all the support! Please keep reviewing so well, it makes these updates faster! :) (DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO DRACO?)


	24. Hermione12

Hermione's heart hammered in her chest as she ran through the flames back to the chess room. She couldn't believe she'd had to leave all her boys behind. First Draco, then Ron, and now- Harry was walking right into You-Know-Who's clutches and she couldn't do a thing about it. They just had to reach Dumbledore in time. She didn't know what they'd do if they didn't.

"Ron!" She ran past the broken statues and over the board to get to Ron. He hadn't moved from the spot the chess piece had left him. Hermione tried to wake him up by calling his name, but he didn't flinch until she shook his shoulders. He squinted up at her and sat up slowly. She helped him off the ground and winced when she noticed the lump on his head.

He leaned against her and she helped him all the way back to the flying key room. On the way there, she filled him in on what Harry was doing and he moved faster than before.

"Draco?" She called out carefully as she opened the door.

"Did you get the Stone? Where's Potter?"

Hermione looked down and saw he hadn't moved since they left him.

"We need to get Professor Dumbledore. Draco, your leg-"

"It's probably broken."

"Oh."

Ron let go of Hermione and picked up a few brooms. He handed one to Hermione and hesitated to hand one to Draco.

"You think you can fly?"

"I'll try." He tried to pick himself off the ground but Hermione knew it'd be impossible without help. She and Ron rushed over and picked him up before he could hurt himself even more. Draco took the broom from Ron and managed to hover over the ground.

Hermione and Ron mounted their own brooms and kicked off.

Ron asked, "Ready?"

"As we'll ever be."

"Lead the way, Weasley."

-oOo-

Hermione sat outside of the Hospital Wing and swung her legs back and forth anxiously. Madam Pomfrey had assured her that all the boys, including the still unconscious Harry, would be alright. As Hermione hadn't had any outstanding injuries, she'd been shooed out almost immediately.

While her worry for her boys was slowly ebbing away, the worry over the Stone had vanished as soon as Professor Dumbledore met them in the hall on the way to the owlery. There was no way anything bad could happen to the Stone while Professor Dumbledore was back.

Her worry must have shown plainly on her face because when Lavender and Parvati came flouncing down the corridor on their way to what had to be breakfast, they stopped and sat on either side of her.

"You okay, Hermione?" Lavender asked curiously.

Hermione didn't have it in her to lie. All the pent up emotions came out with her quiet, "No."

Parvati patted her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Hermione began to cry as the pressure from the long night came crashing down on her at once. Lavender and Parvati must have been shocked because they shut up and didn't interrupt as the whole story, modified to leave out Draco, came flooding out of her lips. She told them how Ron beat the giant chess set and how he'd sacrificed himself to let them move on. She told them about the logic puzzle and how there'd only been enough potion for Harry to keep going. She told them all about the Stone and how Professor Dumbledore had come to save the day and Harry. She hiccupped as she reassured them that Harry and Ron would be fine because Madam Pomfrey was taking care of them just on the other side of the large wooden doors.

Hermione thought it awfully kind of her roommates to escort her all the way back to their dormitory. Parvati even helped her calm down by telling her that Neville had been released from his body bind when one of the sixth year prefects woke up early and found him in the common room. When the two gossip girls of Gryffindor left Hermione, she curled up in her bed and shut the curtains. She released one long breath and her sniffles stopped. The gravity of their midnight adventure fell down on her and she sunk into a much-deserved dreamless sleep within minutes.

-oOo-

It turned out that telling Lavender and Parvati what had happened wasn't one of her better ideas. Hermione woke up just in time for dinner but before she could leave the tower, Professor McGonagall intercepted her. Shame colored Hermione's face. They'd directly disobeyed their Head of House when they left to save the Stone, not to mention the fact they'd broken more than fifty school rules. Hermione braced herself for the swift, crushing notice of her expulsion.

"Are you going somewhere, Miss Granger?"

"To dinner, Professor, if I may."

She chanced a glance at her favorite professor and her heart leapt with hope when McGonagall smiled.

"A word of warning: your fellow classmates are quite curious about last night's events."

Oh no. Hermione thanked Professor McGonagall and headed straight for the Hospital Wing instead of the Great Hall. She knocked on the door seven times before Madam Pomfrey let her in.

"You've got ten minutes."

Hermione saw Ron first, as he was sitting on a bed with a bored expression. She looked further and Draco gave her a green-faced glance. Madam Pomfrey shoved another glass of a thick potion at him and he grimaced.

"Alright, Ron?" Hermione gave him a small smile.

He nodded, "I'm just waiting for her to set me free. I'm starving. But she's got to make sure the _toddler_ in the bed over there drinks his potion before she releases me."

"Shut up, Weasley, or I'll make sure you have to taste this vile brew too."

Hermione found the expression of pure disgust on Draco's face as he downed the potion in one shot _highly_ amusing. She laughed until he turned his heated glare onto her.

"Keep laughing, Granger. I _dare_ you."

Hermione, shaking with mirth, stuck her tongue out at her best friend. He huffed in his bed and Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes at them all.

She turned her gaze over to the far side of the room, towards the one bed that had the curtains up around it, and bit her lip. "Will Harry be alright?"

"He should be up in a few days. Then we can find out what really happened."

As she and Ron left to the Great Hall, Hermione couldn't help but think that it didn't really matter what had happened, as long as Harry was okay.

* * *

AN: This chapter gave me trouble and it shows. ugh. Hopefully I get it right next time. Please review...

There are maybe four more chapters of First Year left. I'll reveal how far the timeskip will be in the next chapter.


	25. Draco13

When Draco left the Hospital Wing, he added breaking bones to his list of things never to do again, if only because the potion to fix them tasted like something someone dug up from a graveyard. The only good in his overnight stay had been the visit from Professor Dumbledore. The old man wasn't as bad as his father claimed. He liked candy, and if there was anything Draco could respect, it was a healthy appreciation for sweets. He told Draco about what really happened to Harry and that Draco should be proud of what he'd done to help. Draco didn't feel too proud of himself for once, though. Father and Mother would probably be scandalized if they found out he'd helped a handful of Gryffindors do something extremely dangerous and reckless. So he'd asked Dumbledore to keep his hand in whole thing a secret. The Headmaster agreed but Draco didn't really like the sad look he'd given him when he left. He seemed almost disappointed. Draco ran into Theo and Blaise on his way to his common room, or rather they ran into him.

They were full of questions. "Where've you been, Malfoy?"

"Professor Snape said you were in the Hospital Wing and we weren't allowed in."

Draco rolled his eyes but inside he was desperately trying to recall the details of his agreed-upon cover story. He really couldn't remember the beginning. He'd have to make something up. "If you already knew the answer, why ask?"

"Well… yeah, but for two whole days? We woke up on Thursday and you were gone!" Theo shook a finger at him.

"If you must know, I woke up quite early and decided to take a walk." They rounded a corner and had to stop or else they'd crash into Pansy and Daphne. Draco groaned inside. The two girls _definitely _wouldn't let him go until they had fully interrogated him.

"Draco!" They chimed together. They were just as curious as his other friends and would be _far_ harder to fool.

"How'd you even end up in the Hospital Wing?" Blaise crossed his arms.

"I got in a fight with the Giant Squid and lost." He drawled with an air of sarcasm. Blaise scoffed and Theo seemed to believe him for a moment before sense kicked in. Daphne and Pansy giggled behind their hands. "Anything interesting happen in my absence?"

Pansy nodded quickly, "Lots!"

"Quirrel is dead!"

Daphne was never one to beat around the bush.

"Really?" He faked surprise.

"Yeah! He tried to get a rock and kill Potter but Professor Dumbledore stopped him." Pansy trilled.

"What a shame." He sighed.

Theo nudged him with his elbow and chuckled, "Which part?"

Draco obliged, "That Quirrel wasn't quick enough."

His friends got lost in the gossip and Draco decided to get lost in his own thoughts, as he already knew the truth from the rumors. With Gryffindor's crushing Quidditch defeat earlier in the day, Slytherin would take the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. Exam results would be coming out in five days. During the History of Magic exam, he'd written just about everything he remembered about the subject. He hoped it was more than Hermione put, because that class could very well be the deciding factor for top spot. Over the term, he and Hermione had given themselves a comfortable lead with all the extra credit teachers were giving them for their outstanding work. Hermione was still beating him by three damn points and he just _knew _she'd end up beating him. He huffed inwardly. He'd let her have first year. He'd _definitely _beat her next year.

The Slytherin Common Room was filled with people milling about and playing games. Everyone was filled with excitement, especially the Seventh Years. He would be too, if he'd won seven Cups in a row. He fake gagged when he saw two of them wrapped in an inappropriate embrace. He wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Professor Snape swooped in and separated the eager teenagers, and left them thoroughly embarrassed. Unfortunately, the first years attracter too much attention with their uncontrolled laughter and they caught Snape's attention too. Draco tried to hide behind Blaise but it was all for naught, as Snape marched right up to them and grabbed him by the collar.

"My office. _Now_."

Shit.

-oOo-

Snape's scolding wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. It was far worse. He hadn't expected his Head of House to be so furious about his involvement in his friends' (his friends? Were Potter and Weasley really his _friends?_ He'd have to think about that later when his brain didn't hurt at the mere thought of it) schemes surrounding the Stone. It had been reckless- idiotic- he could have been more seriously injured- blah blah blah- Draco had tuned out right about then. It wasn't until Snape threatened to tell his parents that he paid attention again. After some careful begging and pleading, Snape agreed not to tell his parents about his foolish behavior, so long as Draco never stooped to such levels again. Draco promised quickly and Snape sent him away just as swiftly as he had dragged him in.

He went straight to bed to avoid questioning from his friends, who were still huddled in a corner of the common room talking when he escaped Snape.

The next morning, he received a letter at breakfast. It was more a strip of parchment than a letter and it was from Hermione.

'_4__th__ floor, left, 2__nd__ classroom on your right. 1pm. –H'_

He found himself on the fourth floor at exactly 1 pm in an empty classroom. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. He had just stood up to leave when Hermione and Ron came running in, both panting and laughing.

"S-Sorry, Draco," Hermione gasped and giggled some more, "Harry woke up!"

"What's so funny about that?"

Ron guffawed, "Nothing- Fred and George just played their last prank of the year. Filch and his cat have been tap dancing in the entrance hall for almost half an hour."

Even Draco had to laugh. It served the mean man right, after all the terrible detentions he'd gotten everyone all term. There were only so many times the trophy room could be polished.

When Hermione regained control of herself, she pulled out a small package from her bag and handed it to Draco. He looked at the parcel and back to her. What on Earth was this? He weighed it in his hands and it felt awfully bookish.

"Your birthday, it was Friday, wasn't it? I didn't send it in with Madam Pomfrey because I wanted to give it to you in person." Hermione beamed.

Draco tore open the paper and found he'd been correct; it was a book.

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

His eyes widened when he noticed the thin silver script along the cover.

_'Draco, keep your eyes open, there are many more out there - N.A.F.S.'_

But that was impossible. The famous magizoologist had recently passed away. "How-"

"I went to Diagon Alley, back in December. It was his last book signing and, well, I thought ahead."

"I-" Draco didn't know what else to say but, "Thanks, Hermione."

* * *

AN: In my original plans, the book Hermione gave Draco was going to be _Quidditch Through the Ages_, BUT AFTER TODAY IT HAD TO BE FBAWTFT.

I HOPE YOU'RE ALL EXCITED. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is getting it's own movie and wow, tell me your feelings in your reviews so we can all be excited together.


	26. Hermione13

When she recalled his surprise, Hermione figured Draco hadn't given his birthday much more thought than '_Hey, I'm 12 now_'. It must have been all the excitement surrounding the Stone clouding his self-absorbed side.

While the other members of her house were no longer ignoring her or Harry, they didn't seem too happy at the End of Term Feast. It might have been because the Slytherin table was far too pleased with the green decorations all over the Great Hall. They were chatting loudly and making sure that everyone knew who dominated the Cup for _seven whole years. _Hermione sneered at Pansy Parkinson, who was practically standing in her seat, waving an ugly green bit of fabric side to side. She didn't have to be so _obnoxious_. A hush fell over every table when Harry walked in. Hermione and Ron scooted apart and he took his usual spot between them at the table.

Professor Dumbledore approached his chair at the Head Table and everyone turned quite respectful in his presence. Hermione glanced at the Slytherin table and found Draco smirking just as much as she thought he would be.

"Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink out teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were.. you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…"

There were many giggles from nearly every house.

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus-"

It was physically painful, hearing Gryffindor's name first. Hermione thought she was prepared to hear them dubbed in last place, but it was as though a giant weight had settled upon her. She knew she was part of the reason they'd lost so badly. Guilt ate at her with every glance the older students threw at the three first years at the end of the table.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account."

What.

"Ahem, I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes.. First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley- for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

It was as though a bomb had gone off. The Gryffindor student's cheers shook the room. Hermione gaped at Ron, who had gone quite purple in the face. He looked just as shocked as she did. Hermione's heart felt lighter knowing they weren't in last any longer. But still-

"Second- to Miss Hermione Granger-"

Hermione felt tears spring up in her eyes and she quickly covered her face with her hands. It was too much- too many people were looking at her-

"For the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione tallied up the points in her mind and knew that third place wasn't where they were going to finish, either. She cut off her happy tears and smiled brightly at Harry.

"Third- to Mr. Harry Potter… For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

Hermione stood up in her seat, as did the rest of her house. They were tied- tied with Slytherin! She spun around and spotted Pansy burying her face in Tracey Davis' shoulder. Next, she looked past Theodore Nott, who was pulling at his hair, to Draco. He didn't look happy _at all. _

Dumbledore continued, "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbot-"

That was all Hermione heard before the Great Hall erupted in cheers, not only from her own house, but from the seas of yellow and blue students too. Slytherin's long held throne had been usurped and euphoria was sweeping through the student body. She didn't dare look at the Slytherin's, on the off chance one of their murderous stares glared back at her.

"Which means, we need a little change of decoration."

Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard, Hermione thought in awe as the green in the room changed to red, and the snakes turned to lions. He'd done it _wandlessly_.

Everyone was hugging and clapping and hollering; Hermione helped Neville out of the massive pile of people that had fallen upon him with Dumbledore's words.

"Blimey- I- I-" Neville couldn't form any more words, and Fred and George took full advantage of it by hoisting the round faced boy onto their shoulders. Hermione laughed and hugged Harry tightly, and then Ron, and then Lavender, Parvati, and everyone else. It took ages to get everyone settled into their seats, and even then, with their mouths full and their spirits bright, the Gryffindor table made the floors rumble with their volume.

When they returned to the common room, the victory party didn't stop until well into the next morning, as even McGonagall was far too pleased to stop them.

-oOo-

The train ride home was pleasant, but Hermione felt more and more distraught the closer to the station they got. Once she stepped off that train, she'd go back to being Bucktooth-Bookworm Hermione Granger from down the lane. The dentist's brainy daughter. She had no true friends in the Muggle world, not like Draco and Harry and Ron. The thought of spending the entire summer away from them, and the magical world, made her awfully sad. She knew, without a doubt, that she wouldn't be able to see Draco at all, but they could write each other. There was a chance she'd be able to visit Ron maybe once or twice, but Harry told them his aunt and uncle weren't likely to let him invite anyone over for tea anytime soon. Either way, she'd write to them too.

"Go."

Hermione threw a purple bean at Harry's head and he caught it in his teeth.

"Purple could be-"

Ron gasped loudly, "That's sugar! I _know_ it! Bite it, Harry!"

Harry bit into the bean so filled with hope that it _almost _made Hermione feel badly when his face screwed up in disgust. She laughed hard behind her hands.

"I was going to say, purple could be sugar- _or soggy rug."_

After Harry scrubbed his tongue with his sleeve, he took the box of beans from Hermione and Ron set himself up for a catch. They kept playing their little game until all the candy ran out (not counting the seven Ron had confiscated and deemed inedible from experience). Once that had been taken care of, they talked about their plans to keep in touch for the summer.

Hermione had just taken out a bit of parchment to write out her address when their compartment door was wrenched open.

* * *

A/N: Wow, in all the excitement I forgot to reveal the timeskip length last chapter! No one called me out on it though.

Well, here it is! I will continue this alt. universe- the summer before fourth year! Let me know what you think of that ;)

I can't believe we've only got**_ one more chapter left of this story_**. Thank you so much for supporting me all this time!


	27. Draco14

Draco shut the door much more quietly than he had opened it.

"Merlin, Malfoy, were you trying to kill us?" Ron held a hand over his heart but scooted over to make room for the other boy on the bench. Draco sat next to Hermione instead.

"I've just gotten away from Daphne and Blaise." He muttered apologetically, as he had planned on visiting the Gryffindor's much earlier in the train ride. They were almost back to the station.

"S'Alright." Harry answered.

"Ready to go home?" Draco asked. The other kids were already changed into muggle clothes. Something deep inside bothered Draco when he noticed how large Potter's clothes were on him. They didn't look very normal, unless that was something new in muggle fashion. He turned to Hermione, who discreetly shook her head. He wouldn't ask.

"Oh yeah, I'm ready not to use magic_ all summer. _How fun." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Maybe they'll let you visit, Harry-" Hermione supplied, "I'll send you a letter as soon as my parents say it's alright. We can go watch a film or something."

Harry seemed to cheer up after that. "Can't wait."

"And you, Weasley?" Draco nodded to the ginger boy.

"Mum'll probably be having us de-gnoming the garden all summer. But it'll be nice to fly again."

Draco perked up at the mention of flying. He had a lot of work to do over the summer if he wanted to play for the house team. Higgs was definitely out and Flint was practically chomping at the bit to get started looking for a new one. Draco's only real competition would be Pucey, and Adrian wasn't likely to go easy on him. Maybe Father would let him get a new broom. The Nimbus 2001's were finally staring to appear in Quidditch catalogues.

"Hermione, you will write, won't you?" He asked quietly, as Harry and Ron got into a long discussion over flying maneuvers. Hermione nodded eagerly and he was surprised to feel a bit relieved at her hopeful expression.

It worried him, sometimes, in the dead of night, that she'd forget all about him. Potter and Weasley got to spend so much more time with his best friend than he did. It was completely logical for him to feel a little pushed to the side. In reality, Hermione still thought of him quite highly and he thought the same of her.

If he'd asked himself a year prior, about having a Muggleborn _acquaintance, _he'd have laugh himself sick at the thought. But the past year had taught him a lot about what was easy and what was right. It was easy to put Hermione in a box: brainy, bushy-haired Muggleborn. Lesser. It was right to give her the chance to prove herself to him. She'd passed every test he'd sent her way. Hermione Granger was an exception to the rule that Muggleborn wizards and witches were below him. He hated to admit it, and a tiny voice in his head screamed at him in disbelief whenever he thought about being nicer to her, but she was actually a better person than him.

A better person.

It was a different way of thinking, not one he was used to at all, to judge people by their actions rather than their origins. It'd been uncomfortable, yet satisfying, to figure out that maybe, just maybe, it was something he needed to do for everyone. If Hermione was any indication, perhaps he'd overlooked other incredible people, people that could be useful to him.

Sure, there were people who were _obviously_ not worthy of such attention from a man of standing such as himself, but hell, he'd given Weasley a shot and he had more than proved otherwise. Hermione told him all about the giant chessboard and Draco, eventually, wanted to play against the taller boy. It was too easy to beat Goyle and Theo all the time. They never thought things through.

"You'll send Bitty, won't you? Your hawk doesn't like me at all."

He scoffed, "Helle is a perfectly professional bird. She's never acted up, not even once."

"That's what you think."

"And I'm right."

"Wrong."

"Right."

"Wrong."

"Right."

"Wrong."

Ron had enough. "Are you really fighting over a bloody bird?"

"Yes." They answered together. Draco immediately sighed while Hermione started to laugh.

"And to think, you were such a prat at the beginning of the year." Harry smirked at Draco but Draco knew there wasn't any malice behind the words.

If anything, there was acceptance. It felt good, knowing Potter finally was on good terms with him.

That was another thing Hermione had changed. When he was a child, the other children played with him, followed him, entertained him- because their parents told them to. Not that he hadn't made good friends in the process, because Theo, Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne were great. He knew they would be there for him no matter what. But Hermione had never been told to befriend him. Neither had Potter or Weasley. Maybe it was because they were so bloody sentimental, but after the whole shock of his friendship with Hermione being revealed, they'd warmed up considerably to him. They'd definitely been much nicer towards him after the night under the school.

"And you were an arrogant little whelp, Potter, but I suppose we've all changed a bit since that first day on the train." He looked at Hermione when he said this and she nodded in agreement.

She pointed at each of them with each name, "Very true. You're a lot nicer, sort of. Harry's more confident. And Ronald's about four inches taller."

"Har har," Ron rolled his eyes, "You've gotten meaner, Hermione. I think it's his fault."

"Is not-…" Draco paused for a moment and finally conceded, "Okay, probably, but it's not my fault she's so easily influenced."

Hermione looked like she wanted to argue so he stood up.

"I'd better get going. They're going to get curious if I'm gone too long."

"Yeah, yeah, we know the drill." Harry stuck out his hand, "See you after summer, Malfoy."

"Be ready, Potter." Draco shook the other boys hand quickly and held his hand to Weasley.

"The summer isn't a long enough break from your face, Malfoy-"

Hermione groaned behind them, "_Ron."_

"-but have a good one."

"Same to you, Weasley."

Draco turned around and stepped back quickly. Hermione was already out of her seat. He had no time to evade her bone-crushing hug. He tried to wiggle out of her grasp but she held strong_, for a girl_, he thought quickly.

"Don't forget to write me, Draco, or I'll hex you _so badly_ you won't walk straight for days."

"What a kind send off, Hermione. Don't worry- I won't forget." He pried her arms off of his person and sighed when his hand reached the door handle. He looked back at his friends -_yes, friends_, he was finally sure of it- and smirked in the smug way he always did.

"Until September."

And he left.

By the time he reached his parents on the platform, he found he couldn't _wait_ for school to start again.

* * *

A/N: It's over. It's really over.

Thank you to all the kind reviewers and readers who have stuck with this story over the last couple months. If it weren't for you, I'd never have finished. The sequel, that begins in fourth year, will be posted on Friday. Please leave all your final thoughts here, all of you! Your input helps me prep for the next story!


	28. Chapter 28

Sequel has been posted_; Convergence _can be found on my page.

Remember to follow and review that story! :)

Thank you all!


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